It’s been a year since the landmark Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization decision was handed down by the Supreme Court on June 24, 2022, upending a nearly 50-year constitutional precedent set by Roe v. Wade that recognized a constitutional right to abortion, one that was reaffirmed by Planned Parenthood of Southeastern Pennsylvania v. Casey in 1992.
Since Dobbs, chaos and confusion have reigned. Dozens of states have passed a wide array of restrictions and outright bans, both to abortions and to access to mifepristone, a safe and effective abortion medication. There are dozens of legal challenges winding through the court system, some filed by women who nearly lost their lives because of the restrictions. The political landscape has fundamentally changed — elected leaders, especially Republicans, seem slow to catch up.
Given the dramatic changes ushered in by Dobbs, we at All In Together, a women’s civic leadership organization, wanted to understand what women across the political, racial and geographic spectrum think and feel about abortion rights and how these insights are likely to affect their votes in the coming election. To this end, we conducted a poll delving into women’s views. What we found confirmed what many have suspected — that attitudes about abortion have changed and continue to loom large for the elections next year.
