Floridians Overwhelmingly Support Abortion Measure—But Could Still Be Voting for a Ban
A new poll shows 69% of Floridians support an abortion rights proposal on the ballot—but also support Trump, who could enact a national abortion ban, over Kamala Harris.
Photo: Getty Images AbortionPolitics
In April, the Florida Supreme Court ruled that a six-week abortion ban could take effect starting May 1. But the court simultaneously ruled that a proposal to enshrine a right to abortion in the state Constitution could be included on the ballot in November—and the first polls are promising: According to the poll from the University of North Florida’s Public Opinion Research Lab published Tuesday, 69% of Floridians say they’ll vote for the measure, Amendment 4, which prohibits restrictions and bans on abortion in the state until fetal viability.
In Florida, ballot measures must receive at least 60% of the vote to take effect instead of just a simple majority. So, this poll is certainly cause for hope at a time when Florida’s ban has decimated abortion access across the entire South. But the same poll also shows Floridians support former President Trump over Vice President Kamala Harris by a 49 to 42-point margin. And despite Trump’s not-so-reassuring assurances to the contrary, his deep connections to the far-right Heritage Foundation’s Project 2025 indicate he’d enact a national abortion ban. Project 2025 details how a Republican president—ahem, Trump—could wield the Comstock Act, to ban abortion without going through Congress. The dormant, 19th-century law bans the dissemination of “obscene” materials, including abortion pills and/or medical products used by abortion providers.