Poll: 2/3 of Ohioans oppose banning abortion at 6 weeks

A substantial majority of Ohioans oppose the state's abortion law and want legal exceptions for rape victims and underage children, according to a new USA TODAY Network Ohio/Suffolk University poll.

About 68% of likely Ohio voters said they oppose a ban on abortion after fetal cardiac activity is detected, usually around six weeks. And 84% supported exceptions for victims of rape or incest.

On Wednesday, a Hamilton County judge blocked Ohio's 6-week abortion ban for 14 days. The ban permits abortions later in pregnancy only for life-threatening complications.

Called the "heartbeat bill" by its supporters, the law went into effect hours after the U.S. Supreme Court ended federal abortion protections. Patients aren't punished for seeking unauthorized abortions under the law, but physicians can face criminal charges and loss of their medical license. For the 14 days while the law is on hold, Ohio's abortion providers will be able to offer the procedure up until 20 weeks into pregnancy.

A few days after the Supreme Court's decision, Ohio made international headlines when a 10-year-old girl sought an abortion in Indiana after being raped.

Election 2022:Economy, 'threats to democracy' top issues on Ohio voters' minds, poll finds

About 62% of likely voters said they would support an exception for those under the age of consent, which is age 16 in Ohio.

"I have zero doubt that Ohioans would vote to support abortion access," Pro-Choice Ohio executive director Kellie Copeland said. "They believe those decisions belong between them and their doctor and not the government."

Ohio's GOP-controlled Legislature is poised to pass a near-total abortion ban after the November elections. The bill, which has yet to be introduced, is expected to include exceptions to save the pregnant Ohioan's life but no exceptions for rape or incest.

Ohio Right to Life President Mike Gonidakis didn't respond to an interview request, but Planned Parenthood Advocates of Ohio Vice President Lauren Blauvelt-Copelin said the reason Republicans are moving forward can be summed up in a single word: gerrymandering.

"There used to be moderate Republicans where we could negotiate on policy," Blauvelt-Copelin said. "We have extreme legislators who are not looking at what the majority of Ohioans want."

Will abortion move the political needle in Ohio?

Voters will decide who gets those statehouse seats this November.

And 75% of those surveyed said abortion was an important factor in their 2022 votes. Twenty-two percent said it was the most important issue.

But the poll also found Republican Gov. Mike DeWine − a lifelong opponent of abortion access − leading Democratic challenger Nan Whaley, 53.8% to 39.2%.

Blauvelt-Copelin and Copeland said those numbers tell them that DeWine is doing a good job obfuscating his position on abortion.

"DeWine has done more harm to people who need abortion care or family planning than any single person in the state of Ohio ever," Copeland said.

The governor signed the six-week abortion ban into law in 2019, and his campaign website used to describe DeWine as "the most pro-life governor in Ohio history."

"He hasn’t changed on this issue, he’s just not talking about it," Blauvelt-Copelin said.

There is another possible explanation in the Suffolk University data. Elections are about more than one issue.

Given a list of 11 issues, 13% said abortion was their most important issue in the 2022 elections. The topic came in third behind the economy and inflation at 28% and threats to democracy at 20%.

Will Ohioans get to vote on abortion?

The other big election question on abortion might not be answered until next year at the earliest.

"A ballot initiative is probably not an if but a when," Copeland said.

But what will be in that potential amendment to Ohio's constitution is still up for debate.

Two-thirds of likely Ohio voters would oppose the current law, but a poll taken in May showed an even split among Ohioans when it came to whether Roe v. Wade should be overturned.

Support for abortion access is also split along gender and party lines, according to the USA TODAY Network Ohio/Suffolk University poll.

Ninety-one percent of Democrats opposed Ohio's current abortion law compared with 43% of Republicans and 73% of independents.

About 21% of women said abortion was the most important issue compared to 5% of men. And it was the top issue for 18% of Democrats, 17% of independents and 7% of Republicans.

The poll of 500 likely voters was conducted between Sept. 5 and Sept. 7 and has a margin of error of plus or minus 4.4 percentage points.

Anna Staver and Jessie Balmert are reporters with the USA TODAY Network Ohio Bureau. It serves the Columbus Dispatch, Cincinnati Enquirer, Akron Beacon Journal and 18 other affiliated news organizations across Ohio.

This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Abortion in Ohio: 2 of 3 voters oppose six-week ban, poll finds