WASHINGTON, DC — New polling[1] released today found a strong majority of Latino/a voters want to keep abortion accessible and affordable, mirroring recent findings about attitudes nationally across racial and ethnic groups. Latino/as also oppose the nationwide trend of new laws at the state level that make it harder for a woman to access abortion care and harder for doctors to provide that care.
“It’s time to put an end to myths about our community’s views on abortion. The reality is, Latino/a views on abortion are supportive, compassionate, and largely mirror the views of the nation as a whole,” said Jessica González-Rojas, executive director for the National Latina Institute for Reproductive Health. “On the eve of a Supreme Court case that will determine the future of abortion access in the United States, this data settles any question about which side Latino/a voters are on.”
“This study reaffirms the shortcomings of other polling on Latino/a opinion on abortion, which fails to recognize that Latino/a voters are in fact quite supportive of ensuring that abortion is available, and are compassionate toward those who need care,” said Tresa Undem, partner with PerryUndem Research/Communication, the nonpartisan research firm who conducted the survey.
The poll release comes days before the Supreme Court will hear oral arguments in Whole Woman’s Health v. Hellerstedt, to determine whether Texas’ clinic shutdown law will be struck down. Earlier this year, national and state Latino/a leaders joined in an amicus brief in support of the plaintiffs in the case, discussing how restrictions on abortion harm Latinas. The poll also comes on the heels of the release of the National Hispanic Leadership Agenda 2016 Hispanic Public Policy Agenda, in which the nation’s preeminent Latino/a civil rights leaders call for the repeal of the Hyde Amendment and declare support for “proactive legislation that aims to ensure reproductive health by working to remove barriers to abortion access.”
“Like much of the country, Latino/as are just waking up to the disturbing trend of state politicians passing new laws to make abortion hard to get, and when they learn the facts they oppose this trend. Clearly Latino/a voters care where our nation’s leaders stand on these issues,” González-Rojas concluded.
Key findings include:
Support for Roe v. Wade, oppose restrictions
- Eight in ten Latino/a voters agree that a woman should be able to make her own personal decisions about abortion without politicians interfering.
- A majority (67 percent) of Latino/a voters do not want to see Roe v. Wade overturned.
- Sixty-five percent of Latino/a voters say the increased restrictions on abortion that have occurred since 2010 are a step in the wrong direction, with only 32 percent saying they are a step in the right direction. This is similar to a national poll released earlier this year that found that 63 percent of voters across all racial and ethnic groups say the restrictions trend is going in the wrong direction.
Support for insurance coverage of abortion
- Eight in ten (81 percent) Latino/a voters agree politicians should not be allowed to deny a woman’s health coverage for abortion just because she’s poor, with 67% percent saying they strongly agree. This mirrors a 2015 national voters poll which found that 86 percent of voters across racial and ethnic groups agree with the statement (68 percent strongly).
- Nearly seven in ten (69 percent) Latino/a voters agree that every woman should have coverage for the full range of pregnancy-related care, including abortion, whether she has private or government-funded health coverage, with 48 percent saying they strongly agree.
Compassionate views toward those who have abortions
- The vast majority of Latino/a voters (89 percent) say they would give support to a close friend or family member who had an abortion. Nearly six in ten (58 percent) say they would provide a lot of support.
- Seventy-one percent of Latino/a voters agree that we should not judge someone who feels they are not ready to be a parent.
- For a woman who has decided to have an abortion, 83 percent of Latin@ voters want the experience to be respectful of her decision. This is similar to a national poll released earlier this year that found that 82 percent of voters across all racial and ethnic groups want the experience to be respectful of a woman’s decision.
Faith includes support for abortion
- Most Latino/a voters are willing to disagree with church leaders on the legality of abortion. Nearly seven in ten (69 percent) believe abortion should remain legal regardless of whether church leaders oppose it.
- Half of Latino/a voters (50 percent) agree that “my personal religious values can support a woman making her own decision about abortion.”
Paying attention to candidates’ views
- After learning about the recent trend of laws restricting abortion, eight in ten Latino/a voters (82%) plan on paying attention to a candidate’s views on a woman’s right to get an abortion.
The poll memo and top lines, Spanish and English questionnaires, and methodology can be found at this link.
