Abortion is the top issue for Black women going into the upcoming presidential election, according to a new study.
Conducted by policy research firm KFF, the poll found that 28% of Black women voters believed that abortion is the most important topic going into the elections.
Of the total number of people who reported that it was a top issue, a majority, specifically two-thirds of the group, believed that it should be legal in either all or a majority of cases, opposing a national abortion ban at the 16-week mark of a pregnancy.
The latest poll results mark a shift as previous research found that abortion was a more prominent issue for pro-life white evangelicals.
According to pollster Ashley Kirzinger, the new report is indicative of who the issue really affects.
“Abortion — it’s clearly resonating with this group,” Kirzinger said. “When we think about abortion access and who is disadvantaged, it’s Black women.”
Attacks on abortion by the GOP party have been on the rise since 2022 when the historic Roe v. Wade was overturned by the Supreme Court.
On June 24, 2022, judges, a majority of which are from the Republican party, agreed to reverse the federal constitutional right to obtain an abortion.
New poll: Most “abortion voters” say abortion should be legal in all or most cases—a significant shift from elections prior to the SCOTUS decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, when abortion voters were largely those who identified as pro-life. https://t.co/Thow0JzcEh pic.twitter.com/WYqtuUbE6o
— KFF (@KFF) March 9, 2024
Dissents were only given by Justices Sonia Sotomayor, Elena Kagan, and Stephen Bryer, all of whom were appointed by Democratic presidents; in their written statements, the justices wrote that “young women today will come of age with fewer rights than their mothers and grandmothers.”
With the removal of Roe v. Wade, a wave of anti-abortion laws followed in a variety of states.
Per the U.S. News & World Report, limited access to abortions now exists in 28 states with the legislators cutting off access to an abortion from the span of six to 24 weeks of pregnancy. In 14 states, abortion is only allowed for limited exceptions such as serious health risks and rape.
Although all women are being affected by the increased restrictions on abortions, Black women are among those most affected as they record the highest rates of abortions.
Per the CDC, approximately 28.6 abortions were obtained per every 1,000 Black women aged 15 to 44 years old.
A majority of these abortions have been obtained because of a lack of healthcare and health complications. According to the latest memo by Democrats, these complications during pregnancy are particularly fatal in Republican-led states where abortions are restricted.
In Florida, where abortions are banned at 15 weeks, Black women are four times more likely to pass away from a pregnancy-related health issue.
In Georgia, where no abortion is allowed past six weeks, they are over three times more likely to pass away because of a complication during their pregnancy.
