New National Poll Shows 14 Percent Pro-Life Majority on Abortion, Fifth Survey in May
by Steven Ertelt
LifeNews.com Editor
May 22, 2009
Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) — The results of a new national poll are the fifth survey this month to confirm a majority of Americans take a pro-life position on abortion or show movement in the pro-life direction. The latest poll was conducted by the Polling Company of 800 adults from May 17-18 and it has a 3.5 percent margin of error.
The poll, which also found the public does not want President Barack Obama to appoint a pro-abortion activist to the Supreme Court, featured two questions directly about abortion.
A first question asked respondents to identify themselves as either pro-life or "pro-choice" on abortion.
The poll found a plurality, 47 percent, took a pro-life position while 45 percent said they were "pro-choice" when it comes to abortion.
However, a second question, asking respondents to delineate their specific position on when abortion should be legal, found a 14 percent pro-life majority.
The poll found 55 percent take one of three pro-life positions saying that all abortions should be prohibited (10%), abortion should be legal only in cases to save the life of the mother (16%), or abortions should only be legal in cases of rape, incest, or to save the life of the mother (29%).
Just 41 percent took one of three pro-abortion positions, with 26 percent saying abortion should be legal for any reason within the first three months of pregnancy, 8 percent saying abortions should be legal within the first six months of pregnancy for any reason, and just 7 percent agreeing with President Obama that abortions should be legal for any reason throughout pregnancy.
The Polling Company survey found 4 percent of Americans don’t know where they stand on abortion.
Although the poll, which was commissioned by the pro-life group Americans United for Life, did not detail racial, gender and socioeconomic breakdowns, 52 percent of the respondents were women. That makes it appear likely that a majority of women took a pro-life position.
Those results from the Polling Company survey further confirm the results of the four other recent polls showing either a pro-life majority on abortion or strong movement in the pro-life direction.
A Rasmussen Reports survey released May 5 found that 58 percent of Americans say abortion is morally wrong most of the time and a seven percent increase in the number of Americans who say abortions are too easy to obtain.
A May Gallup poll found 51% of Americans calling themselves pro-life and just 42 percent saying they are "pro-choice" and supporting legal abortions.
A Fox News poll conducted May 12-13 found 49 percent of Americans say they are pro-life while just 43 percent say they are "pro-choice.
And a Pew poll released at the end of April found the support for legal abortions has dropped to its lowest level in 15 years.
Sign Up for Free Pro-Life News From LifeNews.com
Daily Pro-Life News Report Twice-Weekly Pro-Life
News Report Receive a free daily email report from LifeNews.com with the latest pro-life news stories on abortion, euthanasia and stem cell research. Sign up here. Receive a free twice-weekly email report with the latest pro-life news headlines on abortion, euthanasia and stem cell research. Sign up here.
