Tennessee poll shows support for abortion exceptions

Tennesseans across the political spectrum support access to abortions in cases of rape and incest, according to a Vanderbilt University poll released Wednesday.

Why it matters: That view stands in stark opposition to the state's strict abortion ban, which does not include any exceptions. Lawmakers from both parties have said they will support considering exceptions during the upcoming legislative session.

By the numbers: 75% of Tennesseans supported legal abortions in cases of rape and incest.

• Support was at 62% for Republicans, 78% for independents and 93% for Democrats.

Of note: Only 19% of participants were able to identify the correct scope of Tennessee's abortion ban, which went into effect in August.

• 36% said they didn't know enough to say, while the rest selected an incorrect description of the ban.

Meanwhile, the poll found that Tennessee Republicans would prefer Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis over former President Trump in the 2024 presidential race.

• DeSantis got support from 54% of registered Republicans in a head-to-head matchup. Trump got 41%.

Between the lines: The poll surveyed 1,180 registered Tennessee voters between Nov. 8-28. The margin of error is +/- 3.4 percentage points.