Abortion rights are one of the most contentious debates in the United States and while the Supreme Court has ruled that a woman has a constitutional right to terminate her pregnancy, the issue continues to be an emotionally charged topic. In recent elections, abortion has been a major political issue with candidates on both sides expressing strong views on the subject. However, one thing that cannot be overlooked is the fact that abortion rights have been increasingly popular among voters, especially after the Roe v. Wade decision.
Despite the Supreme Court’s ruling on abortion, a number of states have continued to pass laws to restrict abortion access and to chip away at a woman’s right to choose to terminate a pregnancy. The backlash has been severe. Examining recent election results shows that the trend of voting for more pro-choice candidates has increased significantly. Exit polls in the 2020 Presidential Election showed that more than 70 percent of American voters believed that abortion should be either legal in all or most cases. This was a sharp rise since the 2016 election, when the figure stood at just 42 percent.
The 2020 election also showed that running on an anti-abortion platform created significant electoral losses for Republican candidates. According to one study, Republicans in Senate races who supported limiting access to abortion received seven percent fewer votes than their pro-choice counterparts. This was a major shift from previous elections, when there was often no difference in the number of votes for candidates based on their stance on abortion rights.
It is clear to see that abortion rights have been, and continue to be, a major influence on voting patterns in the U.S. In states like North Carolina and Georgia, backlashes to restrictive new laws pushed by Republican-led legislatures have driven an increase in pro-choice voting. This trend toward a pro-choice stance shows no signs of slowing down, especially in the wake of the Roe v. Wade decision. As public opinion on the issue continues to shift, it is likely that abortion rights will remain a major factor in future elections.