Gallup Releases Results of New Polling Data on Abortion, Roe v. Wade 
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by Steven Ertelt
LifeNews.com Editor
May 23, 2007
Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) — The Gallup polling firm has released the results of a new poll it conducted on abortion issues — specifically asking about overturning the Roe v. Wade decision and the recent Supreme Court ruling on partial-birth abortions. As is typically the case, the wording of questions Gallup used likely biased the results.
The new poll found that 49 percent of Americans consider themselves "pro-choice" on abortion while 45 percent consider themselves "pro-life." The result was just one point outside the margin of error.
However, Gallup does not define the terms and other polls asking Americans for a more specific position on when abortion should be legal finds a solid majority of Americans oppose virtually all abortions.
The results also contrast with an Opinion Research Corporation poll conducted for CNN earlier this month which found 50 percent of Americans call themselves pro-life while just 45 percent say otherwise.
Looking at other Gallup results, the poll found 35 percent would like to see the high court overturn it’s landmark 1973 abortion ruling while 53 percent disagree and 12 percent are undecided.
But those numbers are shifting in the pro-life direction.
The number of Americans who want the abortion on demand ruling reversed has increased three percent since Gallup’s May 2006 survey and the percentage wanting it to stay on the books is down by two points.
Another recent poll on the subject found a similar 55 to 34 percent split against reversing Roe but also indicated that the margin would drop to 48-43 against reversal if the facts about what Roe does are explained.
The polling firm also asked respondents about their views on the recent decision affirming the constitutionality of the national ban on partial-birth abortions.
Despite an inaccurate question referring to the procedure as a late-term one used in the last months of pregnancy, 72 percent of Americans said they supported the ruling while just 22 percent said they wanted the three-day-long abortion procedure to remain legal.
Gallup’s telephone interviews were conducted May 10-13 with 1,003 national adults aged 18 and older.
