Majority of Texas voters are now in support of abortion being available in all or most cases

TEXAS – Today, one year after S.B. 8 took effect in Texas – leaving Texans without meaningful abortion access – a new poll was released by Planned Parenthood Texas Votes, Texas Freedom Network, Avow, Deeds Action Fund, Progress Texas, and ACLU of Texas that highlights the current landscape of abortion views among Texans and how opinions around S.B. 8 and abortion may play in the 2022 midterm elections.

The new data demonstrates there is strong support for abortion access throughout the state, with 60% of Texas voters believing that abortion should be available in all or most cases and only 11% of Texans wanting abortion to be banned in all cases. By enacting a total ban on abortion, Texas politicians are out of step with 9 in 10 Texas voters, according to the poll.

For years, Texas politicians with extreme anti-abortion views have enacted restrictions on reproductive health care, and especially over the past year, the landscape of abortion rights and access has shifted dramatically in Texas and nationwide. Now, after enforcing an extreme bounty hunter law on abortion for a year, it’s clear these laws are detrimental to Texans and do not represent the vast majority of voters in this state. The new polling shows:

• 68% of Texas voters of reproductive age (18 to 44) say they can envision a scenario in which abortion may be the best option for them or a partner
• 67% of Texas voters agree that people should be able to make their own decisions on abortion without the government interfering
• 72% of Texas voters say they don’t struggle with views on abortion, nor is it a religious issue for them personally (60%)

Abortion has become a top issue for voters, and S.B. 8 has engaged and motivated many – especially independent women and women ages 18 to 44, who are both key mobilization audiences. 53% of Texas voters say S.B. 8 has motivated them “a lot” to make sure they vote this fall. Latina/o/x voters are also more supportive of abortion than white voters (67% v. 51% in all or most cases), and it has become a top issue for Latina/x women and 18-to-44-year old Latina/o/x voters. 

“When out-of-touch elected officials passed a cruel, bounty-hunting law banning abortion last year Texans were outraged and we knew the fight had only just begun,” said Dyana Limon-Mercado, Executive Director of Planned Parenthood Texas Votes. “One year later, we are still outraged and we are demanding change. With the vast majority of voters making it clear they do not support Texas’s extreme abortion bans, we are harnessing our collective power to take back our state and restore the right of every Texan to control their own bodies and lives.” 

“Abortion is not a divisive issue, it’s a gerrymandered one. These results make it clear: our current state leadership is out of step with 9 out of every 10 Texas voters,” said Caroline Duble, Political Director of Avow.  ‘Texans understand that regardless of how they personally feel about this issue, abortion must be a decision that’s left up to each individual. When each of us can make the decisions that are best for our own lives, our families and communities thrive.”

“Abortion is normal in the United States. And it’s not just normal, it’s popular in the hearts and minds of the majority of Texans, especially young Texans,” said Andrea Reyes, Acting Executive Director of Deeds Action Fund. “The elected leaders who passed SB8 showed their reckless disregard for people who need abortions in Texas submitting to white supremacists and anti-abortion extremists — it’s time we hold these electeds accountable, and turn out to vote for leadership that is in line with the majority of Texan’s values.”

“These poll results prove that Texans who support abortion are the majority across our state. And together, we have the strength to form a massive political resistance,” said  Diana Gómez, Advocacy Director of Progress Texas. “We have the political power to turn the tides of the fight for abortion access and make politicians regret ever going after our freedom to choose if, when and how to parent. It’s time to turn this anger into action by voting for pro-abortion candidates in every election at every level, including the 2022 midterm elections.”

“Texans are not backing down to politicians who want to interfere with our ability to build our own futures,” said Carisa Lopez, senior political director for Texas Freedom Network. “The current attacks on abortion access by extremist politicians are not what the strong majority of Texans want. It’s disappointing that we’re dealing with an overstep of government interference into our lives, but it’s clear Texans will go to the polls to vote for change in November.”

“Data suggests opinion is shifting in Texas,” said Tresa Undem, Partner at PerryUndem. “S.B. 8 had a personal effect on many voters, who felt their own rights in Texas may be at risk. Many voters of reproductive age, for whom this issue has real-life consequences, thought about leaving the state because of S.B. 8. Instead, they may feel motivated to turn out to try to change the direction of the state. One of the most surprising findings is that abortion access is a top motivating issue for independent women who support abortion access (65% of independent women do). This is the first time I’ve seen that – typically it’s only a top issue for Democrats.” 

The polling, gathered in late June by PerryUndem, captures Texas voters’ views on abortion up until the day the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, ending nearly 50 years of the federal constitutional right to abortion. 

Representatives from Planned Parenthood Texas Votes, Texas Freedom Network, Avow, Deeds Action Fund, Progress Texas, and the ACLU TX are available for interviews on these findings.

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