Poll: Democrats Fall Short of Majority Support to Enact Abortion Legislation

Democrats do not have a majority consensus among voters to enact abortion legislation, a Wednesday Politico/Morning Consult poll revealed.

Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY) on Tuesday promised a vote to codify Roe v. Wade after a Supreme Court leak revealed the 1973 ruling may be overturned.

“A vote on this legislation is not an abstract exercise,” Schumer said. “This is as urgent and real as it gets. We will vote to protect a woman’s right to choose, and every American is going to see which side every senator stands.”

Only 47 percent support codifying Roe v. Wade. Fifty-three percent of the electorate either opposes abortion legislation or is unsure whether it should be enacted.

Twenty-nine percent have determined they oppose codifying the ruling. Twenty-three percent have not made up their mind.

The overall polling seems to fall along the lines of independent voters, who are also divided on the issue. A majority of independents do not support codifying Roe v. Wade. Only 46 percent support, while 53 percent either oppose or are unsure.

63% of Democrats would support a bill from Congress to establish federal abortion rights in case the Supreme Court overturns Roe v. Wade, while 46% of Republicans would oppose such a bill. https://t.co/gY00SZxhGG #RoeVWade pic.twitter.com/8mDoS0J5ib

— Morning Consult (@MorningConsult) May 4, 2022

The poll also revealed that 57 percent believe the 1973 court case would be overturned, while a total of 22 percent said it would not, a net difference of 35 points.

A Fox News polling indicated worse news for Democrats. Fifty-four percent support banning abortions, “except in certain cases, after 15 weeks of pregnancy and return the question of abortion and its legality back to the states.” Just 41 percent were opposed.

Additional polling shows Americans are highly skeptical of hardline abortion policies, according to the Republican National Committee. Seventy-one percent want significant limits on abortion. Seventy-seven percent support banning infanticide. Eighty percent believe third trimester abortions should be illegal.

Americans also oppose taxpayer-funded abortions by a 20-point margin.

The Politico/Morning Consult polled 1955 voters on May 3 with a 2-point margin of error.

Follow Wendell Husebø on Twitter and Gettr @WendellHusebø. He is the author of Politics of Slave Morality.