Nearly one-third of registered voters said in a new poll that their state would be less desirable to live in if it banned abortion, according to a new
The USA Today-Suffolk poll found that six in 10 voters said a state abortion ban would not affect their thinking on its desirability, 31 percent said it would make the state less desirable and 5 percent said it would be more desirable.
The proportion who said an abortion ban would make their state less desirable was higher for respondents aged 18 to 25 — clocking in at 42 percent — and those with a college degree.
The poll comes as the Supreme Court prepares to rule on Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, a dispute over a Mississippi state law that would ban most abortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy.
A draft opinion written by Justice Samuel Alito on the case leaked in May showing a majority of justices was poised to overturn the landmark Roe v. Wade decision that protected abortion rights federally.
The Supreme Court is in the final weeks of its term with 13 decisions left, and the court is expected to release additional rulings on Thursday.
The White House is quietly preparing for the ruling, holding listening sessions with state officials, advocacy groups and other stakeholders on abortion rights regarding the legal barriers to abortion already in place in certain states.
But if the court overturns Roe, it may not reverse the headwinds Democrats face going into this year’s midterm elections.
The new poll found that two-thirds of respondents said the state of the economy mattered more than abortion rights, which was a bigger priority for 23 percent.
High inflation rates have plagued the Biden administration as the midterm elections approach, with inflation and the economy consistently ranking as top concerns for voters in recent polling. Concerns are also growing over a potential recession as the Federal Reserve rapidly raises interest rates to cool off demand and tame rising prices.
About 15 percent of voters in the USA Today-Suffolk survey indicated abortion was the most important issue to them. Forty-two percent also said they would vote for a candidate they disagreed with on abortion if they agreed with them on other issues, compared to 41 percent who said they would not.
Additionally, more than three-quarters of respondents — 77 percent — said a Supreme Court decision overturning Roe would have no effect on their likelihood to vote.
The pollsters conducted the survey of 1,000 registered voters between June 12 and June 15 over the phone. The margin of error is 3.1 percentage points.
