Over half of Arizona voters oppose pre-statehood abortion ban, poll finds
Jul 25, 2022, 8:00 PM
Thousands of protesters march around the Arizona Capitol after the Supreme Court decision to overturn the landmark Roe v. Wade abortion decision Friday, June 24, 2022, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)
(AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)
PHOENIX – Over half of Arizona voters oppose a territorial-era law that would ban most abortions in the state, according to poll results released Monday.
OH Predictive Insights, a Phoenix-based research firm, found that 52% of registered Arizona voters are against the ban, which Attorney General Mark Brnovich has asked the courts to reinstate following last month’s Supreme Court ruling that overturned Roe v. Wade.
Under the law, which originated in 1864, doctors could be sentenced to 2-5 years in prison and lose their license for performing an abortion unless it is necessary to save the mother’s life. Mothers would not be subject to prosecution.
Only 28% supported the near-total ban, while 14% were uncertain and 6% refused to answer.
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OH Predictive Insights conducted the poll, which has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.2%, on July 5-15.
The findings also showed that 52% of Arizona voters opposed the Supreme Court’s Roe v. Wade decision, which revoked federal abortion rights that existed for almost 50 years and instead gave states authority over the issue.
The ruling was supported by 33% of Arizona voters, with 13% neither supporting nor opposing and 3% saying they had no opinion.
With Roe v. Wade overturned, the abortion issue will be on the minds of many Arizona voters when they cast their ballots this year, especially Democrats.
Sixty-five percent of Democrats surveyed said the Supreme Court decision makes them more likely to vote in the upcoming midterm elections, vs. 38% for Republicans.
And 77% of Democrats said a candidate’s stance on abortion will be very or somewhat impactful on how they vote, vs. 59% for Republicans.
Independents, who make about one-third of the state’s electorate, responded similarly to Republicans on the voting questions, with 39% more likely to vote and 57% saying a candidate’s abortion stance will be very or somewhat impactful.
“Candidates who can sift through the louder sentiments to leverage an actionable abortion messaging strategy will have the advantage going into November,” Mike Noble, chief of research for OH Predictive Insights, said in a press release.
