A strong majority of Latino voters will pay close attention to candidates' stances on abortion, mainly because they want to keep abortion accessible and affordable, according to a new poll released this week by the National Latina Institute for Reproductive Health.
Far from the stereotype that Latinos, who overwhelmingly identify as Catholic, are anti-abortion, the survey of 1,011 registered voters in the United States found that Latinos largely oppose state-level restrictions that make it harder for a woman to access abortion care, and harder for doctors to provide that care.
“It’s time to put an end to myths about our community’s views on abortion. The reality is, Latino/a views on abortion are supportive, compassionate, and largely mirror the views of the nation as a whole,” said Jessica Gonzalez-Rojas, executive director for the NLIRH, in a press release.
65% of Latino voters say the increased restrictions on abortion that have occurred since 2010 are a step in the wrong direction
81% of Latino voters agree politicians should not be allowed to deny a woman’s health coverage for abortion just because she’s poor
89% say they would give support to a close friend or family member who had an abortion
69% believe abortion should remain legal regardless of whether church leaders oppose it
82% plan on paying attention to a candidate’s views on a woman’s right to get an abortion
“On the eve of a Supreme Court case that will determine the future of abortion access in the United States, this data settles any question about which side Latino/a voters are on.”
Tresa Undem, a partner at PerryUndem Research/Communication, a nonpartisan research firm that conducted the survey, said the data "reaffirms the shortcomings of other polling on Latino/a opinion on abortion, which fails to recognize that Latino/a voters are in fact quite supportive of ensuring that abortion is available, and are compassionate toward those who need care.”
The poll's release comes days before the Supreme Court will hear arguments in Whole Woman's Health v. Hellerstedt, a case that will determine whether Texas’ law forcing abortion clinics to shut down law will remain be struck down.
Earlier this year, national and state Latino leaders joined in an amicus brief in support of the plaintiffs in the case, highlighting how restrictions on abortion harm Latinas.
The poll also comes on the heels of the release of the National Hispanic Leadership Agenda 2016 Hispanic Public Policy Agenda, in which the nation’s preeminent Latino/a civil rights leaders call for the repeal of the Hyde Amendment and declare support for “proactive legislation that aims to ensure reproductive health by working to remove barriers to abortion access.”
“Like much of the country, Latino/as are just waking up to the disturbing trend of state politicians passing new laws to make abortion hard to get, and when they learn the facts they oppose this trend. Clearly Latino/a voters care where our nation’s leaders stand on these issues,” Gonzalez-Rojas concluded.