New Poll: Majority of MA Voters Do Not Want Government Interference in Pregnancy Decisions
A recent poll conducted by Public Policy Polling on behalf of NARAL Pro-Choice America found that a majority — 61% — of voters are more likely to support elected officials in the next election if they work to advance legislation that will prevent the government from interfering with personal decisions about pregnancy, including pregnancy prevention and abortion.
Other key highlights from the poll include:
62% of voters agree that it is important for state legislatures to proactively protect the right to abortion through state legislation, while only 18% disagree, giving more than a 3-to-1 margin of support for pro-choice legislation.
A large majority (88%) of voters believe that abortion should be legal
Of those who believe it should be legal, a majority (55%) personally support a woman’s right to abortion and believe it should be legal and available, while the remaining 33% believe the government should not prevent a woman from making that decision for herself.
The majority of Democrats (71%) and independents (58%), and a plurality of Republicans (43%) believe it is important for state legislatures to proactively protect the right to abortion.
The vast majority of Massachusetts (85%) voters support an exception to the current ban on abortion after 24 weeks of pregnancy that allows for abortions to protect a woman’s health or in cases of lethal fetal diagnoses.
In response to the findings, NARAL Pro-Choice Massachusetts Executive Director Rebecca Hart Holder issued the following statement:
“As Massachusetts continues to lead the way for the rest of the country in protecting abortion access, these results suggest that voters think elected officials can do even more. Massachusetts voters are telling us that no matter how loud anti-choice extremists continue to be, they do not represent the values of the majority of our state. Now it’s on legislators to listen and take action to protect reproductive freedom.”
The poll comes at a time when NARAL Pro-Choice Massachusetts is focused on expanding access to abortion care in Massachusetts. It is also consistent with earlier polling conducted by NARAL Pro-Choice Massachusetts in October that highlighted the overwhelming support for abortion access in Massachusetts. For that reason, NARAL Pro-Choice Massachusetts’s top priority for the 2019-2020 legislative session is the ROE Act. (S1209, H3320) This groundbreaking bill would reform the Commonwealth’s abortion laws, ensuring that anyone, regardless of age, income, or insurance status, can access safe, legal abortion.
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