South Dakota Abortion Ban Down 10 Points in New Statewide Poll 
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by Steven Ertelt
LifeNews.com Editor
October 30, 2006
Pierre, SD (LifeNews.com) — A new poll shows that South Dakota residents oppose the statewide ban on most abortions by a 10 point margin. The poll, which shows slightly different results compared to other ones, doesn’t have pro-life advocates concerned. They say they expected a majority of South Dakota residents to back the abortion ban next week.
Sponsored by the Argus Leader newspaper, the new poll finds 52 percent of South Dakota residents would vote against the abortion ban while 42 percent would support it and six percent say they are undecided.
That represents a change from the newspaper’s July survey which found a 47-39 percent split against the abortion ban.
As the July poll found, the new survey indicates that the abortion ban would have more support if it included exceptions for rape and incest. In that case, 56 percent said they would vote for the ban while just 29 percent would oppose it.
The new poll found that women are more supportive of the ban with women opposing it on a 48-45 percent split while men oppose it by a larger 56-39 percent margin.
The Washingotn-based Mason-Dixon Polling & Research firm conducted the new survey, which features 800 registered voters and a 3.5 percent margin of error.
Leslee Unruh, the head of Vote Yes for Life, the pro-life group backing the abortion ban, says the new survey doesn’t worry her about next week’s results.
“The only poll that counts is on election day and we intend to win,” Unruh said in a statement sent to LifeNews.com. “Frankly, we have seen many other private polls that show this contest is a dead heat.”
In fact, a late September Zogby International poll found of 531 likely South Dakota voters found 44 percent of state residents back the abortion ban while 47 percent oppose it. That was within the survey’s margin of error.
Unruh says her group plans to continue its aggressive campaigning for the ban.
“Ten days exist to spread our message,” Unruh said. “We have the people, resources and momentum to win.”
“Voters realize that a yes vote on 6 is a vote on life And a no vote on 6 is a vote for abortion on demand. We have great faith that South Dakota voters will vote for life," she said.
Related web sites:
Vote Yes for Life – https://www.voteyesforlife.com
