Poll Watch: Rasmussen (R) Survey on Abortion

Rasmussen (R) Survey on Abortion

Generally speaking, on the issue of abortion, do you consider yourself pro-choice or pro-life?

• Pro-Choice 54% [52%] (51%) {53%} [49%] (50%)
• Pro-Life 38% [41%] (40%) {39%} [41%] (40%)

National survey of 1,000 likely voters was conducted November 10-11, 2012. The margin of error is +/- 3 percentage points. Results from the poll conducted July 31 - August 1, 2012 are in square brackets.  Results from the poll conducted April 16-17, 2012 are in parentheses.  Results from the poll conducted March 25-26, 2012 are in curly brackets.  Results from the poll conducted May 23-24, 2011 are in square brackets.  Results from the poll conducted February 14-15, 2011 are in parentheses.

Inside the numbers:

More voters than ever now identify themselves as pro-choice when it comes to abortion, and most rate the issue as important to how they vote.

The number of pro-choice voters is up only slightly from 52% in August but is now at the highest level ever measured by Rasmussen Reports in surveys dating back to 2007. This also marks the first time that the percentage of pro-life voters has fallen below 40% in several years.

Republican candidates favored to win U.S. Senate races in Indiana and Missouri lost last week in large part because of controversial abortion-related remarks they made.

Fifty-six percent (56%) of women are now pro-choice, as are 51% of men.

Voters younger than 40 are more likely than their elders to be pro-choice.

Sixty-two percent (62%) of voters now consider abortion important to how they will vote, including 37% who view it as Very Important. Among female voters, 45% feel the issue of abortion is Very Important to their vote.

Forty-five percent (45%) of pro-life voters say abortion is Very Important as a voting issue, compared to 34% who are Pro-Choice.

Among all voters, only 35% say the issue is not important in terms of how they vote, with 13% who feel it is Not At All Important.