New Knights of Columbus/Marist Poll:

A Majority of Americans Support Legal Limits on Abortion, and Oppose Taxpayer Funding

NEW HAVEN, Conn. — A new Knights of Columbus/Marist Poll released today shows that 71% of Americans support legal limits on abortion. This survey, conducted by the Marist Poll and commissioned annually by the Knights of Columbus for more than a decade, found that a majority of Americans — 54% — oppose taxpayer funding of abortion, and 81% of Americans believe laws can protect both the mother and her unborn child.

“When it comes to the direction of government policy, there has been consistency and consensus in American public opinion on the issue of abortion over the decades,” explained Dr. Barbara Carvalho, director of the Marist Poll.

“As we await a decision in the Supreme Court case Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, our polling continues to show that over 60% of Americans reject the central holding of Roe v. Wade, and want to return the decision to the states or make abortion illegal,” said Supreme Knight Patrick Kelly. “Roe v. Wade was wrong when it was decided, and its legacy is the tragic destruction of more than 60 million unborn lives and countless wounded women. The time has come for America to turn the page on Roe.”

“Our polling also shows that Americans oppose policies that divert tax dollars to pay for abortion here and abroad. This is especially relevant as the bipartisan Hyde Amendment prohibiting taxpayer funding of abortion is in danger,” added Supreme Knight Kelly. “As a supermajority of Americans believe laws can protect both women and the unborn, the Knights of Columbus will continue to stand with them in supporting the dignity and worth of every human life.”

Other Key Findings:

• 63% of Americans oppose new federal rules that allow sending prescription drugs for medication abortions through the mail instead of having women get them in-person from a specially certified health provider.
• Three-quarters say doctors, nurses, or other health care professionals who have religious objections to abortion should not be forced to perform them.
• A majority (54%) believe organizations who have religious objections to abortion should not be legally required to provide insurance coverage for abortion.
• Nearly three-quarters (73%) of Americans either “oppose” or “strongly oppose” using tax dollars to support abortion abroad, including 59% who self-identify as pro-choice.

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View Poll Presentation 

Methodology

This survey of 1,004 adults was conducted Jan. 4-9, 2022, by the Marist Poll and sponsored in partnership with the Knights of Columbus. Adults ages 18 and older residing in the contiguous United States were contacted on landline or mobile numbers and interviewed by telephone using live interviewers. Survey questions were available in English or Spanish with data collection provided by SSRS. The samples were then combined and balanced to reflect the 2019 American Community Survey 1-year estimates for age, gender, income, race and region. Results are statistically significant within ±3.3 percentage points. There are 849 registered voters. The results for this subset are statistically significant within ±3.6 percentage points.