SURVEY: Midterm voters overwhelmingly support abortion rights, oppose restrictions
For Immediate Release: Dec. 8, 2022
Voters under 30 rank abortion as top motivating issue, driving turnout
(Portland, MAINE) – As the Maine State Legislature enters its 131st session, new survey data shows voters support abortion rights, oppose restrictions and disagree with the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling overturning federal protections for abortion.
Post-election data shows Mainers turned out in record numbers on Nov. 8, and they overwhelmingly supported candidates who campaigned on protecting reproductive rights and freedoms.
In Maine, 75 percent of people registered to vote by Oct. 20 voted in November. That turnout—which includes the state’s second highest turnout rate for young voters in midterm elections in the last 30 years—could be the highest in the country. Nationwide, voter turnout, according to data released by Navigator Research, was driven, in part, by concern about abortion and reproductive healthcare, particularly among voters under age 30.
Swing voters, specifically those who cast ballots in competitive races across the country, overwhelmingly favored pro-abortion Democrats on Nov. 8, according to Navigator Research data. Surveyed “winning swing” voters cited abortion as a primary reason to vote for Democrats overall. Seven in 10 winning swing voters who pushed embattled Democrats to victory on Nov. 8 identify as pro-abortion, and 92 percent believe abortion should be legal, according to the Navigator Research survey. A majority of respondents disagree with the U.S. Supreme Court’s June 2022 ruling on Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, and 64 percent of swing voters said the ruling itself was a reason they voted for Democrats over Republicans.
Statement from Nicole Clegg, Senior VP of Public Affairs, Planned Parenthood Maine Action Fund:
“We knew before this election that a majority of voters want abortion to be safe and legal. What the Nov. 8 election results show is that voters also won’t stand for their rights and freedoms being taken away, and they want their elected representatives to protect and expand reproductive rights, including abortion.
The loss of federal protections for abortion galvanized Mainers and voters across the country to show up and support candidates who have promised to champion pro-reproductive rights legislation. We look forward to seeing promises made on the campaign trail turn into strengthened laws protecting the right to safe and legal sexual and reproductive health care this session.”
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The Planned Parenthood Maine Action Fund Political Action Committee promotes and preserves a health care landscape and a political climate favorable to women’s health by working to identify and elect supportive candidates seeking executive and legislative offices. The PPMEAF PAC is operated by the Planned Parenthood Maine Action Fund, an independent, nonpartisan, not-for-profit membership organization formed as the advocacy and political arm of Planned Parenthood of Northern New England in Maine. The Action Fund engages in educational and electoral activity, including voter education, grassroots organizing, and legislative advocacy.