The majority of Americans oppose the federal abortion ban and support abortion access for any reason

Introduction

A strong majority of Americans oppose a federal abortion ban. At the same time, an increasing number support abortion access for any reason, according to a new poll, exposing a politically risky situation for abortion rights opponents as the November election approaches.

According to a new poll conducted by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research, roughly six out of ten Americans believe their state should typically allow people to receive legal abortions if they do not want to be pregnant for whatever reason. That represents an increase from June 2021, a year before the Supreme Court removed the constitutional right to abortion when over half of Americans believed legal abortion should be permitted under these circumstances.

Americans are largely opposed to the harsh limits imposed in Republican-controlled states following the Supreme Court’s verdict two years ago. Full bans, with limited exceptions, have been enacted in 14 Republican-led states, while three additional states prohibit abortion after six weeks of pregnancy when women frequently learn they are pregnant.

Complex Views on Timing

They also largely oppose national abortion bans and limits. And attitudes regarding abortion, which have previously been rather steady, may be becoming more permissive.
Vincent Wheeler, a 47-year-old Republican from Los Angeles, believes abortion should be offered for any reason until viability, when healthcare specialists say a fetus may survive outside the uterus.

“There are so many reasons why someone may want or need an abortion that it must be up to that person to decide what to do in that particular situation,” Wheeler added, conceding that some fellow Republicans may disagree.

Donald Trump, the likely Republican presidential nominee, has declined to support a statewide abortion ban, arguing that the decision should be left to the states. However, most Americans are likely to be dissatisfied with that posture, as they continue to oppose numerous abortion prohibitions inside their states and believe Congress should approve legislation ensuring access to abortions nationwide, according to the poll.

Seven in ten Americans believe abortion should be allowed in all or most situations, a modest increase from the previous year, while approximately three in ten believe abortion should be outlawed in all or most cases.

Robert Hood, a 69-year-old from Universal City, Texas, who describes himself as an “independent liberal,” has felt that abortions should be legal for any reason since he was an 18-year-old high school senior, since “life is full of gray situations.” He recalls reading stories as a teenager about women who died while trying to obtain an abortion before the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision established a constitutional right to the practice.

“Pregnancy is complicated,” he explained. “Women should choose with the advice of their doctor and family, but at the end of the day, it’s her choice and her body and her life.” He stated that he would support nationwide abortion rights.

Abortion views have long been varied and, at times, conflicting. The latest AP-NORC study reveals that while the majority of the population is opposed to abortion restrictions, a sizable percentage of people hold contradictory attitudes and values.

Political Implications

About half of those who believe a woman should be able to have an abortion for any reason also believe their state should not allow abortion after 24 weeks of pregnancy. Roughly one-quarter believe their state should not allow abortion after 15 weeks.

However, the vast majority of Americans, more than eight in ten, believe abortion should be permissible in extreme cases, such as when a patient’s life would be jeopardized by continuing the pregnancy. Approximately 80% think the same thing about a pregnancy produced by rape or incest or when a fetal defect prevents the child from surviving outside the womb.

On the campaign road, Trump appealed to anti-abortion voters by emphasizing his appointment of three Supreme Court judges who helped overturn Roe.