A significant majority of Hispanics in the United States oppose abortion bans, regardless of their religious affiliation, according to a recent poll conducted by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. The findings reveal that Hispanic Americans are more supportive of legal abortion than previously thought, challenging common perceptions about the community's stance on the issue.
The survey found that 57% of Hispanic respondents said abortion should be legal in all or most cases. Notably, the study highlights that this support cuts across religious lines, with 51% of Hispanic Catholics and 48% of Hispanic Protestants favoring legal abortion nationwide. This suggests that religious affiliation may not be as strong a predictor of abortion views within the Hispanic community as it is in the broader U.S. population.
Despite the traditional association of Hispanic communities with conservative values on social issues, the poll's results show growing support for abortion rights. The shift is particularly evident among younger Hispanics, with 62% of Hispanic adults under 30 expressing support for abortion access in all or most cases.
When broken down by religious identification, Hispanic Protestants were slightly more conservative than Hispanic Catholics on the issue. However, both groups still showed significant levels of support for legalized abortion, countering the assumption that faith would lead to a stronger alignment with anti-abortion views.
According to Dr. G. Cristina Mora, co-director of the Institute of Governmental Studies, Hispanic women are one of the demographic groups in the country most negatively impacted by abortion bans—an issue that she says is increasingly drawing them to the polls. "Approximately half of Latinas live in states where abortion is being restricted," Mora said. She added that young Latinas could be decisive in the 2024 elections if they choose to vote, especially in swing states such as Arizona and Nevada.
With Election Day six weeks away, the latest national NBC News poll shows former President Donald Trump trailing Vice President Kamala Harris by 21 points among women voters. Harris's campaign has openly supported legal abortion since the beginning, while Trump, who once backed a federal abortion ban as president, now says he would not sign one and instead leave the decision to the states.
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