Two Years Since Dobbs, Voters Are Concerned About New Abortion Restrictions and Support Expanding Access
By Abby Springs
Two years ago, the Supreme Court’s decision in Dobbs v. Jackson overturned Roe v. Wade, ushering in a new wave of state-level abortion bans that have limited access to reproductive care for millions of Americans.
In a new survey from Data for Progress, fielded from June 12-14, voters continue to oppose the Supreme Court’s ruling in Dobbs, instead favoring expanded access to abortion and legal abortion medication by mail. Additionally, voters are concerned about potential federal restrictions on birth control, abortion medication, and in vitro fertilization (IVF) — and many are unsure about which specific abortion restrictions Donald Trump supports.
A plurality of likely voters (47%) say that the Democratic Party is the political party that most shares their views on the issue of abortion, while 35% choose the Republican Party. Among swing voters, 40% choose the Democrats, 19% choose the Republicans, and 42% choose neither.
Meanwhile, Joe Biden has a slightly lower, +8-point advantage over Trump in terms of who voters say most shares their views on abortion.
A majority of voters (55%), including 76% of Democrats and 60% of Independents, say that the Supreme Court should have left Roe v. Wade in place, while a third of voters (33%) say that the court did the right thing when it overturned Roe v. Wade.
Almost two-thirds of voters (65%), including 87% of Democrats, 66% of Independents, and 41% of Republicans, say they support Congress passing the Women's Health Protection Act, which would re-establish a nationwide right to abortion access and protect abortion providers.
At least 60% of voters are concerned that lawmakers in Congress will restrict access to birth control, such as birth control pills, IUDs, and emergency contraception (68%), as well as abortion medication (64%) and IVF (60%). In all three instances, at least 60% of Independents and at least 40% of Republicans express concern about restricted access.
The survey also asked voters whether they think Trump supports or opposes various policies related to reproductive rights. Most voters think Trump supports a ban on abortion medication, as well as a 15-week abortion ban. However, nearly 4 in 10 voters are still unsure about his specific position on matters such as IVF or a six-week abortion ban.
Almost two-thirds of voters (66%), including a majority of Democrats (83%) and Independents (67%) and a plurality of Republicans (46%), say that access to abortion pills should be legal. Furthermore, a majority of voters (55%), including 75% of Democrats and 55% of Independents, say that the U.S. government should continue allowing abortion medication to be sent by mail.
Finally, when asked about recent legislation passed in Louisiana that classifies the abortion pills mifepristone and misoprostol as controlled and dangerous substances, and criminalizes those found in possession of these pills, a majority of voters (63%) — including a majority of Democrats (74%) and Independents (71%) and a plurality of Republicans (45%) — disapprove of this new law.
Ahead of the second anniversary of Dobbs, voters continue to support abortion access. Voters are concerned about further restrictions on reproductive health care, including limits on birth control, IVF, and abortion medication, and want to see a nationwide right to abortion guaranteed by law.
Survey Methodology
From June 12 to 14, 2024, Data for Progress conducted a survey of 1,234 U.S. likely voters nationally using web panel respondents. The sample was weighted to be representative of likely voters by age, gender, education, race, geography, and 2020 recalled vote. The survey was conducted in English. The margin of error associated with the sample size is ±3 percentage points. Results for subgroups of the sample are subject to increased margins of error. Partisanship reflected in tabulations is based on self-identified party affiliation, not partisan registration. For more information please visit dataforprogress.org/our-methodology. To read our methodology for classifying respondents as swing voters, please visit dataforprogress.org/insights/2024/5/30/measuring-the-swing-evaluating-the-key-voters-of-2024/#methodology