Republican women are divided on abortion access policies
All In Together’s most recent poll exposed differing opinions about the overturn of Roe v. Wade between Republican women and Democrat women. 23% of GOP women support abortion access guaranteed by federal law, while 70% of Democrat women said the same. In regard to the federal government restricting abortion access, 39% of GOP women were in support, compared to 8% of Democrat women.
Views on abortion policies vary by party, but views vary within the Republican party as well. Republican women are more divided on the issue than women in other parties. While Republican women are more likely to prefer a federal approach either guaranteeing or restricting abortion access, GOP men prefer a state by state approach (48%).
Despite mixed feelings on the legality of abortion, less than half of Republican women (48%) support prohibiting the use of mifepristone. Over a third of Republican women (37%), actually oppose banning mifepristone, but opposition is much higher among Independent and Democratic Women (55% and 65% respectively).
Women overall feel disappointed and angry about the Court’s decision
More women expressed negative feelings toward the overturn of Roe v. Wade than positive sentiments. When asked how they felt when the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, 32% of women said they felt angry and 26% said they felt disappointed. But only 11% of women said they felt hopeful and 6% said they felt excited.
But feelings toward the decision varied by gender across all parties
Lower percentages of men in both parties felt negative emotions about the decision than women. Fewer Republican men felt angry (4%) or disappointed (7%) about the decision than women in those parties (16% and 18%, respectively). 30% of Democrat men felt angry and 25% disappointed, compared to 44% and 31% of Democrat women.
But more men felt hopeful than women. 31% of Republican men felt hopeful compared to 22% Republican women, and 12% of Democrat men felt hopeful compared to 4% of Democrat women. Men overall may have more positive feelings toward the Court’s decision than women.
Few women voters want more restrictive abortion laws in their state
The overturn of Roe v. Wade returned the power to restrict abortion to state governments. Although abortion policies may continue to change, a plurality of women classified their state’s policies as “about right” (39%). 27% of women said their state’s abortion laws are too restrictive, while 14% say they are not restrictive enough. Democratic men are the most likely to say that their state’s laws are about right.
But women’s views on their state’s abortion laws vary by the laws implemented in that state. 43% of women in states where abortion is prohibited and 47% of women in states where abortion is restricted or in legal dispute found the laws too restrictive. Far fewer women in states where abortion is legal found their laws too restrictive, at 10%. In fact, a majority of women in states where abortion is legal found their state’s laws to be about right.
Women Worry about Access to Reproductive Health Aside from Abortion
In addition to concerns about the restrictions on abortion, most women think health services like abortion will become less accessible following the Court’s decision. A majority of women think it is likely that reproductive health services besides abortion will be less accessible (51%), and that there will be fewer abortions (50%). Many women also think IVF and other fertility treatments will be less accessible (37%) and that someone close to them will seek an abortion but be unable to obtain one (34%).
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All In Together is one of the leading resources of comprehensive polling and research on women voters and policy. View more of our past polling, and learn more about our other research and resources.
For questions or information about the data, please contact All In Together’s Director of Research Priya at pelangovan@aitogether.org. For all media inquiries about the data, please contact Kate at DKC news at allintogether@dkcnews.com.
