Support for abortion rights in the US hit a record high since an NBC News poll first began looking at the issue in 2003.
The poll, which was released Sunday, was conducted after a recently leaked Supreme Court draft opinion asserted that most justices are willing to overturn Roe against Wadea landmark case that has protected federal abortion rights since 1973. The latest poll found that 63 percent of Americans oppose repealing the legislation.
In total, the survey found that 60 percent of respondents believe that abortion should be a legally protected right. Of those, 37 percent said it should always be legal, while 23 percent said it should be legal most of the time. However, 32 percent said abortion should be illegal with exceptions, while 5 percent said it should have no exceptions.
Those numbers represent the highest level of support for abortion rights in the US since the NBC News poll began nearly two decades ago. In last year’s survey, 54 percent of respondents said abortion should be legal, while only 44 percent said the same in 2003.
A new poll finds that support for abortion rights in the US has reached a record level. Above, activists participate in the Women’s March Foundation protest for abortion rights at Los Angeles City Hall on May 14.
Across parties, the latest poll found that 84 percent of Democrats and 63 percent of independents said abortion should be legal, while only 33 percent of Republicans agreed. Additionally, 52 percent of all registered voters said they are less likely to vote for a candidate who supports recall. Roe against Wade.
The survey was conducted with 1,000 adults from May 5-7 and May 9-10. It has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.1 percentage points.
The Supreme Court’s draft does not mark a final decision, but it has since sparked outrage among activists who fear what the United States will look like if abortion rights are left entirely to the states. What news week previously reported, nearly half the country could soon ban access to safe abortions if Roe against Wade is officially cancelled. In some states, lawmakers have even pledged to implement an outright ban on abortion, with no exceptions for pregnancies resulting from rape or incest.
This weekend, thousands of advocates marched through major US cities to protest the leaked draft opinion. Activists also demonstrated outside the Supreme Court and gathered near the homes of conservative justices to demand federal protections against abortion.
Supporters have largely blamed the problem on the current composition of the court, which is made up of six conservative-leaning justices and three liberal-leaning justices. Earlier this week, Senate Democrats failed to pass legislation that would codify abortion rights at the federal level, and all Republican lawmakers voted against it.
“To protect the right to choose, voters must elect more pro-choice senators this November and return a pro-choice majority to the House,” President Joe Biden, a longtime advocate for abortion rights, said in response. to effort. “If they do, Congress can pass this bill in January and put it on my desk, so I can sign it into law.”