Two months after the passage of New York’s legislation legalizing abortion up to the birth of the child, a new poll reveals that residents of the state overwhelmingly oppose late-term abortion.
The survey, conducted by the Marist Poll, found that New Yorkers oppose abortion after 20 weeks by a margin of 75 percent to 20 percent, and two-thirds (66 percent) would limit abortion to the first trimester of pregnancy.
While 62% of those surveyed identified as pro-choice, the results of the poll showed strong opposition to late-term abortion, consistent with national polling. A Marist poll taken in January of this year found that 75% of Americans favor limiting abortion to at least the first three months of pregnancy.
“New Yorkers simply do not support laws that allow late-term abortions,” said Carl Anderson, CEO of the Knights of Columbus, the organization that sponsored the survey. “It is now clear that these radical policies are being pursued despite opposition by the majority of New Yorkers, and by a majority of those who identify as Democrats, Republicans and independents.”
Among those who oppose abortion after 20 weeks were a majority of Democrats in New York (53 percent), three quarters of independents (73 percent) and nearly 90 percent of Republicans.
The legislation passed by the New York legislature, and signed into law by Gov. Andrew Cuomo, on the 46th anniversary of the Roe. v. Wade decision, is viewed as an attempt to allow abortions in the event the Supreme Court overturns that historic ruling.
Under previous law, abortions were legal after 24 weeks only when the mother’s life was at risk. The new law allows abortions after 24 weeks “to protect the patient’s life or health.”
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