National opinion remains divided on the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, but a recent poll suggests the ruling will have little impact at the ballot box this fall.
The survey of 1,308 registered U.S. voters was conducted June 28–29 by the Harvard Center for American Political Studies and the Harris Poll.
A majority of respondents said they had been paying very close attention (34%) or somewhat close attention (38%) to the Supreme Court’s decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Center, the ruling issued June 24 that overturned Roe and returned the power to regulate abortion back to the states.
Fifty-five percent of those polled said they opposed the court’s decision in Dobbs. Forty-five percent said they supported it.
Midterm elections
The poll results suggest voters are not likely to approach this year’s midterm elections differently as a result of the Dobbs decision. Thirty-six percent said they were more likely to vote for a Democrat; 36% said they were more likely to vote for a Republican. Twenty-nine percent said the court’s decision would have no effect on their vote.
Among those who identify as Democrats, 70% affirmed they were more likely to vote for a Democrat following the ruling. Among those who identify as Republicans, 67% said they were more likely to vote Republican.
More than half of respondents (60%) said they support businesses pledging to cover travel and medical expenses for employees who wish to have an abortion. Support for such policies was higher among Democratic voters (80%) than among Republican voters (37%).
More than two-thirds of Americans (69%) said they think the Supreme Court’s decision has created turmoil in the nation, but nearly half of respondents (44%) agreed it is better for abortion standards to be set by state legislatures than by the court or Congress.
The survey asked voters about several topics, including the Jan. 6 hearings, attitudes about inflation, guns and Ukraine. Download the full report here.
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