Majority Opposes Overturning Roe v. Wade… More than Six in Ten Say Decision Will Push Them to the Polls in November

 

In a majority decision, the United States Supreme Court on Friday overturned Roe v. Wade which, for nearly fifty years, guaranteed access to abortion in the United States. However, majorities of Americans oppose the Court’s ruling and have concerns that the decision will have broader constitutional implications. Following the decision, President Joe Biden asserted that Roe will be on the ballot in November. 61% of Americans agree, saying the Court’s decision will make them more likely to vote in this year’s midterm elections, and, by a double-digit margin (15 points), they think the decision will motivate them to vote for a congressional candidate who will support federal legislation that will restore the protections of Roe v. Wade.

 

Overturning of Roe v. Wade

The U.S. Supreme Court has overturned the 1973 decision in Roe versus Wade which guaranteed the right to abortion. Do you support or oppose the Supreme Court´s decision to overturn Roe versus Wade?

 

Source: NPR/PBS NewsHour/Marist Poll National Adults. Interviews conducted June 24th through June 25th, 2022, n=941 MOE +/- 4.9 percentage points. Totals may not add to 100% due to rounding.

• With 55% of Americans saying they mostly support abortion rights, 56% of Americans oppose the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade. This includes 45% who say they strongly oppose the decision. Democrats (88%) are more than four times as likely as Republicans (20%) to oppose the decision. 53% of independents agree.

• 56% of Americans are concerned that the Supreme Court’s decision could also jeopardize the rights to contraception, same-sex marriage, or same-sex relationships. This includes a plurality of Americans (42%) who report they are very concerned that the Court will use the decision to reconsider other previous rulings. 89% of Democrats and 55% of independents are either concerned or very concerned about the impact of the decision. A notable 18% of Republicans agree. Women (63%) are more likely than men (49%) to worry about the ripple effects of overturning Roe v. Wade.

• A majority of Americans (57%) think the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade was politically motivated and not motivated by the law of the land (36%). The debate over abortion rights will most likely play out on the campaign trail. 62% of registered voters say the Supreme Court’s decision will make them more likely to vote in this year’s midterm elections. Democrats (78%) are more motivated by the decision than Republicans (54%) and independents (53%).

• 51% of voters nationally say the Supreme Court’s decision will make them more likely to vote for a congressional candidate who would back a law that would restore the protections of Roe. 36% would definitely vote against a candidate with that intent, and 13% are unsure. Among independents, a plurality (47%) would vote for a candidate who would restore the protections of Roe. 38% of independents think they will definitely vote against such a candidate.

• Democrats (48%) currently have the advantage over the Republicans (41%) among registered voters in the congressional generic ballot question. Their advantage has slightly widened from five points (47% for the Democratic candidate and 42% for the Republican candidate) in May after the leaked draft of the Roe v. Wade decision.

 

“With the midterm elections less than five months away, the decision by SCOTUS has sent shockwaves through the electorate,” says Lee M. Miringoff, Director of the Marist College Institute for Public Opinion. “Men are +12 points and women are +18 points more likely to support congressional candidates who pledge to codify the protections of Roe v. Wade. Digging deeper, 63% of women, including 74% of suburban women, are also concerned that the Court’s decision is a harbinger of things to come.”

Americans’ Express Low Confidence in Supreme Court

The image of the Supreme Court has further diminished. 39% of Americans say they have either a great deal or quite a lot of confidence in the Supreme Court, comparable to an already dismal 40% in May. Americans’ perceptions of the Supreme Court have plummeted since 2019 when 60% of Americans had confidence in SCOTUS.

Should the U.S. Supreme Court Be Expanded?

Despite the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, a majority of Americans (54%) do not want the Court expanded to include more justices.

President Joe Biden’s Job Approval Rating

President Joe Biden’s job approval rating is 40%, inched up slightly from 38% earlier this month. By more than three to one, Americans are more likely to strongly disapprove (41%) of the job Biden is doing in office than to strongly approve (13%) of his job performance.

Abortion in the United States

About two in three Americans (66%) — including 70% of Democrats, 55% of Republicans, and 74% of independents — say they have a personal connection to someone who has had an abortion. 33% say they do not.