A new Reuters/Ipsos poll conducted from May 7-14 asked 3,934 Americans numerous questions, including questions regarding their views about abortion. In its findings, Reuters reported that most respondents believe abortion should be legal in “all or most cases” (57%). But what, exactly, does the open and broad “all or most cases” phrase mean? It seems perhaps even poll respondents don’t know, because follow-up questions stunningly revealed that even when people state that they support abortion in most cases, they actually support limited access to abortion.
“Most cases”?
The poll first asked respondents broad questions regarding abortion before asking them more specifically about their feelings on abortion restrictions by gestational weeks or in certain circumstances. The results showed that seven percent (7%) of respondents believe abortion should be “illegal in all cases,” and 24% believe abortion should be “illegal in most cases.” It also stated that 25% believe abortion should be “legal in all cases” and 32% believe abortion should be “legal in most cases.” Reuters determined that this meant 57% of all respondents believe abortion should be legal in “all or most” cases.
But when more specific questions about gestational age and “cases” (or circumstances) were asked, the results show a much different picture of what Americans think about abortion.
When respondents were asked more specifically about abortion at certain gestational ages or in cases of rape, incest, or life of the mother, the results show a society that favors restricting the killing of preborn children — far more than many politicians or abortion industry operatives would care to admit.
The distinction is in the details
The poll asked a follow-up question to certain respondents, stating, “You mentioned earlier that you believe abortion should be legal at least some of the time. Would you support or oppose a national law that would allow abortion to happen….?” with four differing limits of “up to six weeks of pregnancy?” “up to 15 weeks of pregnancy?” “up to viability (24-28 weeks)?” and “only in cases to save the life of the mother, rape or incest?”
There had been no previous question asking about abortion being “legal at least some of the time” in this survey, but 32% (one-third) did respond that abortion “should be legal in most cases.” Assuming those are the respondents to whom the follow-up questions were asked, the responses about when abortion should be legal showed that most of that one-third want significant restrictions on abortion.
While Reuters claims 57% of respondents feel abortion should be “legal in all or most cases,” as gestational age increases, more Americans become uncomfortable with legalized killing of preborn human beings.
When asked, “Would you support or oppose a national law that would allow abortion to happen up to six weeks of pregnancy,” 55% (of the presumed original 32%) said “yes, support” while 42% said “no, oppose.” While this seems like it may offer a confusing result, the question that followed may offer us greater understanding.
When then asked whether they would support or oppose “a national law that would allow abortion to happen up to 15 weeks of pregnancy,” 42% of the one-third of respondents said “yes, support” and 55% said “no, oppose.” The answers to these two questions coupled together seem to indicate the possibility that over half of the “in most cases” crowd is fine with allowing abortion up to six weeks, but not up to 15 weeks.
When asked about support or opposition to a national law allowing abortion through “viability,” the poll defined viability as 24-28 weeks despite the fact that babies born as young as 21 weeks have survived. Just 27% of the original third of respondents who said abortion should be “legal in most cases” indicated support for a law allowing abortion up until 24 weeks, while 71% opposed it.
As gestional age increases, opposition to abortion also appears to increase.
Arguably the most interesting response, however, was the one that had to do with actual “cases.” Respondents who said abortion should be legal at least some of the time were asked whether or not they would support a national law allowing abortion “only in cases to save the life of the mother, rape or incest.” An astounding 74% said “yes” they would support a law allowing abortion only to save the life of the mother or in cases of rape or incest, while 24% said no, they wouldn’t support such a law.
This result indicates that for those who said they support abortion in at least some cases, the majority — nearly three-quarters of them — said they would support a law in which abortion was only legal in cases involving a risk to the mother’s life or in cases of rape or incest.
So again, the question remains: What does “most cases” even mean? Do many people mistakenly believe that “most” abortions take place for reasons of rape, incest, or risk to the mother’s life?
Other polling
Though somewhat puzzling, these Reuters poll responses are not outliers; they are in line with other abortion-related polling. A 2023 Knights of Columbus-Marist Poll revealed that though 61% of respondents considered themselves to be “pro-choice,” 69% of all respondents wanted abortion to be significantly restricted. The survey revealed that 79% of Americans did not want abortion on demand through all nine months of pregnancy, as pro-abortion politicians are currently seeking. The poll also found that 69% of those polled wanted abortion restricted — allowing it only in the first three months of pregnancy (25%), only for rape/incest/life of mother (26%) only for life of the mother (10%) or never under any circumstance (8%).
An early 2024 poll released by the Knights of Columbus found that the majority of Americans support at least some level of protections for preborn children from abortion. Of the 1,371 respondents, 58% claimed to be “pro-choice,” yet 58% of respondents also said abortion should only be allowed within the first three months of pregnancy (18%), only in cases of rape/incest/life of mother (22%), only for life of the mother (9%), or never allowed (9%).
