More than half of Americans actually support state bans on abortion for 15 weeks of pregnancy, such as the Mississippi Gestational Age Act, based on a Harvard Harris Poll released recently.
The Christian Post reported that the Harris Poll was conducted in partnership with the Harvard University Center for American Political Studies on 1,989 registered voters from November 30 to December 2. The study was conducted in line with oral arguments held by the United States Supreme Court last December 1 which reviews the constitutionality of the Mississippi Gestational Act through the landmark case Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization.
The Harvard Harris Poll showed that 56% of Americans support limits to abortion from 15 weeks of pregnancy or sooner, 24% allow abortions within the first 15 weeks, and 8% allow abortions up to 36 weeks. However, 54% of Americans do no not want Roe v. Wade to be overturned and 46% want it overturned. As to respondents who say they want abortions limited, 38% said they want Roe v. Wade to stay, 32% want it to be overturned.
The Harvard Harris Poll echo the survey released in June by the The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research where 57% of Americans say they want abortion to remain legal. Broken down according to the weeks of pregnancy, 61% of Americans agree abortion should be allowed in the first trimester of pregnancy. While 34% said it should be up to the second trimester and another group at 19% for the third trimester.
"While a majority of Americans believe abortion should be legal in all or most cases, the public does hold more nuanced views including concern about abortion later in pregnancy. There is a slight preference for the federal government having more responsibility for abortion laws than state governments. And majorities across both parties support access to legal abortion in certain cases," the Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research summarized.
The Associated Press-NORC survey also showed that a majority of Democrats at 37% favor abortion to be "legal in all cases" while 18% of Independents and 11% of Republicans do so in such a case. While 39% of Democracts agree that abortion should be made "legal in most cases", with 35% of Independents, and 25% of Republicans agreeing to the statement.
On the contrary, only 17% of Democrats find support abortion to be "illegal in most cases" and 6% "illegal in all cases." While 33% of Independents support abortion to be "illegal in most cases" and 13% "illegal in all cases." Republicans mostly agree that abortion should be made "illegal in most cases" at 44% and "illegal in all cases" at 20%.
The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research survey was conducted a month after the Supreme Court announced it will take up the landmark case Dobbs v. Jackson for review, which was feared to overturn Roe v. Wade.
Mississippi Attorney State General Lynn Fitch requested the Supreme Court in July to overturn its 1973 decision on Roe v. Wade since it is "egregiously wrong" considering the science of fetal development showing the unborn in 15 weeks of pregnancy is already a full human being.
Most of the projections that came out after the Supreme Court's oral arguments took place showed that the justices favor the constitutionality of states limiting abortions, though the justices are considering if it is really time to overturn Roe v. Wade.
The Supreme Court is expected to release its decision for Dobbs v. Jackson in June next year. Should Roe v. Wade be overturned, it is estimated by legal experts that at least 21 states will immediately criminalize abortion. For the meantime, Fitch asked for continuous prayers for the Supreme Court to come out with a decision favoring the life of the unborn.
