(NewsNation) — More Americans think states shouldn’t be allowed to put any restrictions on abortions, a shift in views that has come as an increasing number of states ban or limit abortion procedures.
Data from non-partisan research foundation PerryUndem found nearly half of Americans, 45% of those surveyed, would support a ballot measure guaranteeing reproductive freedom with no restrictions, including those based on fetal viability. Among women of reproductive age, that number jumped to 55%.
Since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, 13 states have banned abortion and seven have passed restrictions based on how many weeks pregnant a woman is when she is seeking to terminate her pregnancy. Some of those bans are as early as six weeks, a time when many women have not even realized they are pregnant.
More than 28 million women of reproductive age live in states that ban or restrict abortions. Voters in some states have pushed back against bans, successfully stopping efforts to restrict procedures.
In states where procedures are banned or severely restricted, women have spoken out about difficulty getting treatment for life-threatening complications, even when state laws theoretically provide for exceptions in medical emergencies.
Prior to the Dobbs decision, abortion was a rallying point for conservative voters who worked toward overturning Roe v. Wade. Republican politicians have continued to campaign on the issue, seeking to expand abortion restrictions, including pushing for a national ban on abortions.
After the Supreme Court ruling in Dobbs, abortion became an issue driving Democratic voters to the polls in an effort to protect reproductive rights. However, the new data suggests many have moved further left, as previous bans on abortions after 24 weeks were considered uncontroversial even among Democrats.
After 24 weeks of pregnancy, it is extremely difficult for women to obtain an abortion based on state laws and the fact that there are very few providers who are able and willing to perform such procedures.
The data isn’t clear on why more Americans are beginning to reject any state limits on abortions. One possibility is that the awareness of post-Roe bans and their impact has made people reject state regulations. Another possibility is that people are more aware of why someone might seek an abortion in their second or third trimester, primarily due to life-threatening medical complications or a non-viable pregnancy.
While the reasoning behind shifting attitudes may be unexplained, the change could prove meaningful at the ballot box, as both parties are set to raise the issue of reproductive choice heading into the 2024 election.