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Abortion passes inflation as top election issue for women under 30, survey finds

By Daniel Miller
Published  October 11, 2024 2:28pm EDT
2024 Election
Fox TV Stations
article

FILE-Demonstrators participate in a abortion-rights rally outside the Supreme Court on March 26, 2024 in Washington, D.C. (Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

The Brief

    • A new survey shows that 39% of women under 30 say abortion is the most important voter issue for them.
    • Women polled said they trust Vice President Kamala Harris to do a better job than Donald Trump when deciding on a policy related to abortion access.
    • Inflation is still among the top concerns for women overall in the survey.

With several key issues on the minds of voters heading into November’s election, one specific topic has taken priority for one group of Americans. 

Abortion has passed inflation to become the top issue in the presidential election for women younger than 30, according to a survey of female voters by KFF, a health policy research, polling and news organization.

Approximately 39% of women under 30 years old surveyed in September and early October said abortion is the most important voter issue compared to 20% that said abortion was their top issue when KFF conducted a similar survey in the spring of this year. 

RELATED: Where Trump, Harris stand on abortion rights

The recent survey noted that since Vice President Kamala Harris entered the presidential race, abortion has become the most important issue for women under 30. 

Among women voters overall, Harris holds a two-to-one advantage over former President Trump on which candidate they trust to do a better job deciding policy related to abortion access, birth control access, and IVF, according to the survey. 

KFF’s previous survey earlier this year reflected that inflation was the top issue for younger voters as it was for women voters of all ages. Inflation was still a top concern for women overall. Women also ranked abortion as their third concern after inflation and threats to democracy, but before immigration. 

RELATED: Nearly as many abortions happening in US every month as before Roe v. Wade was overturned: Report

 The Associated Press reported that most Republican-controlled states are now enforcing abortion bans, including 13 that prohibit abortions at all stages of pregnancy, with some exceptions, and four with bans that kick in after about the first six weeks of pregnancy — before women often realize they are pregnant.

Harris has made abortion access the core of her presidential campaign. According to the AP, several elections in 2024 could affect the abortion issue, including in nine states where there are ballot measures that would protect the right to abortion in the state constitution.

To gather data for the survey, KFF polled 678 female voters from Sept. 12 through Oct. 1. Most of them were participants in an earlier group of the same poll, held in May and June.  This recent survey was supplemented with 29 Black women to ensure a suitable sample size for that group. KFF noted that sampling error was plus or minus 5 points, with larger ranges for subgroups of voters.

The Source

  • Information for this story was provided by a survey from KFF and the Associated Press.  KFF polled 678 female voters from Sept. 12 through Oct. 1. Most of them were participants in an earlier group of the same poll, held in May and June. The AP provides background on abortion bans in some states.  This story was reported from Washington, D.C.