Last week, the Wall Street Journal released a national poll finding substantial public support for laws protecting preborn children after 15 weeks’ gestation. The poll surveyed 1,500 registered voters in March and found that 48 percent favor a law that would “ban abortions after 15 weeks,” with an exception for the health of the mother. Forty-three percent expressed opposition to such a law.
The polling results broke down among fairly predictable partisan lines. Seventy-five percent of self-identified Republicans supported a 15-week ban, while only 21 percent of Democrats indicated that they would support it.
This recent poll adds to a body of data suggesting that Americans support legally protecting preborn children after 15 weeks’ gestation. For instance, two out of three polls conducted by Marquette University Law School since last September show that such laws enjoy majority support. A 2021 Harvard CAPS-Harris poll found that 56 percent of respondents felt that the Supreme Court should either limit abortions to 15 weeks gestation or reverse Roe v. Wade altogether. Furthermore, six Gallup polls conducted since 1996 found that at least 65 percent of Americans think abortion should be “generally illegal” during the second trimester.
The Court is currently considering the constitutionality of Mississippi’s 15-week abortion ban in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization. Given the salience of this case, it is surprising that several prominent polling firms including Gallup, Rasmussen, and Pew Research have failed to ask specific survey questions about 15-week abortion limits in the past twelve months. Surveys inform public debate about policy issues, and Court decisions can be influenced by public opinion. The results of this recent poll showing some support for pro-life laws after 15 weeks is good news for pro-lifers.