Support for abortion reached near-record heights in a recent poll, which further showcased the partisan divide over the issue.
A Wall Street Journal-NORC at the University of Chicago poll found that 55% of registered voters support abortion access for any reason. The results were largely along party lines: 77% of Democratic respondents supported abortion access compared to one-third of Republicans and 53% of independents. The finding comes as the issue takes center stage in national elections, largely being credited with a series of blistering defeats of Republicans.
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The share of Democrats believing that women should be able to get an abortion for any reason has skyrocketed since 2016, when 52% of Democrats held the belief. From 2021 to 2022, when Roe v. Wade was overturned, the share shot up 10%. The share of independents holding the belief has grown modestly, while it has remained largely the same among Republicans.
More nuanced views on the issues were highly popular across the board: Nearly nine-tenths of respondents believed that abortion should be allowed in cases of rape or incest or when the life of the mother is at risk.
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The results highlight the conundrum Republicans face on the issue as the party struggles to find the correct stance and messaging. Pro-abortion rights groups have come to dominate messaging due to vastly outspending anti-abortion groups. In the 2022 midterm elections, the former outspent the latter by a factor of over 45.
The poll surveyed 1,163 registered voters from Oct. 19-24 and has a margin of error of plus or minus 4 percentage points.
