Poll Shows Nearly 6 in 10 Democrats Would Base Vote Solely on Abortion

Nearly 6 in 10 Democrats say they would base their vote solely on how a candidate votes on abortion, a YouGov poll found.

When asked, “Would you vote for or against a candidate just on the basis of their position on the abortion issue?” 58 percent of Democrat respondents said “yes.” Over a quarter (26 percent) said “no” and 17 percent are “not sure.” 

In contrast, 43 percent of independents and 58 percent of Republicans say they would not vote for or against a candidate just on the basis of their abortion position, the survey found. Thirty-one percent of independents say they would be single-issue voters on abortion, as do 22 percent of Republicans. Twenty-six percent of independents and 20 percent of Republicans say they are not sure.

When looking at U.S. citizens overall, 42 percent say they would not base their vote solely on abortion, compared to 37 percent who say they would, and 21 percent who are unsure.

“The number of Americans who say they would vote for or against a candidate just on the basis of the candidate’s position on the abortion issue has fallen since July 2022, from 47 percent who said yes then to 37 percent now,” the YouGov poll report reads. “Roe v. Wade was overturned in June 2022 in the Supreme Court’s Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization decision.”

Unsurprisingly, women (42 percent) are more likely than men (32 percent) to base their vote on the abortion issue. Nearly half of men (49 percent) say they would not vote for or against a candidate just on the basis of their position on the abortion issue, while 36 percent of women say the same. Twenty-two percent of women and 20 percent of men say they are not sure.

The YouGov poll results are much more dramatic than a poll released by NBC News in November 2023, which found that 24 percent of Democrats say they would base their vote on abortion. In that survey, respondents were asked if “any one issue [is] so important that you would vote for or against a candidate solely on that basis.” 

The YouGov poll comes as Democrats, including Vice President and Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris, continue to make abortion the number-one issue of their campaigns. Harris has specifically pledged to sign a bill that would once again federalize abortion and wipe out state pro-life laws, and has even gone as far to suggest ending the filibuster to pass abortion legislation.

Ten states also have abortion on the ballot in November, which Democrats hope will boost support and voter turnout.

The YouGov poll was conducted online on August 14-17, 2024, with 1,134 U.S. adult citizens. The margin of error is ±4 percentage points.

Katherine Hamilton is a political reporter for Breitbart News. You can follow her on X @thekat_hamilton.