Wisconsin Survey Finds Huge Support for Abortion, Planned Parenthood

Planned Parenthood Advocates of Wisconsin President and CEO Tanya Atkinson stood alongside Wisconsin Democrats to introduce the bill in May, saying it was the “next step in protecting and securing full reproductive freedom for people in Wisconsin.” (Photo by Baylor Spears/Wisconsin Examiner)

A majority of Wisconsinites support allowing access to abortion according to recent polling commissioned by Planned Parenthood Advocates of Wisconsin and A Better Wisconsin Together Institute.

The online poll conducted by the D.C.-based Hart Research Associates between March 21 and March 28 got feedback from 605 registered voters in Wisconsin as a way of understanding perspectives on abortion in the state. Planned Parenthood is facing the possibility of being cut off from Medicaid funds under Donald Trump and House Republicans’ budget reconciliation package and Wisconsin Republicans recently reaffirmed their commitment to enforcing a strict statewide abortion ban.

The poll found that 45% of voters are “base supporters” of abortion, meaning they personally support the right to abortion and believe it should be legal, while 34% were “soft supporters” meaning they are personally against abortion but oppose government restrictions.

Planned Parenthood Advocates of Wisconsin President and CEO Tanya Atkinson said in a statement that the poll confirms the “overwhelming” support across the state for abortion care access and for Planned Parenthood.

“That Wisconsin Republicans in Congress, in the State Legislature and in their own political party platform continue to endorse policies and enact cuts to essential care despite broad support from their constituents is devastating,” Atkinson said. “These cuts mean Wisconsinites will lose access to birth control, wellness visits, STI tests and cancer screenings. This isn’t just about abortion — it’s about whether people can count on the care they need, when they need it.”

About 69% of survey participants reported a “favorable” view of Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin.

Lucy Ripp, communications director for A Better Wisconsin Together Institute, said in a statement that the poll shows that Planned Parenthood is “a healthcare provider that Wisconsinites overwhelmingly support and rely on for quality healthcare access.”

The poll found that 74% of voters think abortion is at risk nationally and 71% said it is at risk on a statewide level.

Wisconsin Republicans approved a resolution at their state convention in May that calls for the enforcement of a criminal 1849 law, which effectively banned abortion in the state following the overturn of Roe v. Wade in 2022. A Dane County judge ruled that the law doesn’t apply to abortion, though the decision was appealed and is currently before the Wisconsin Supreme Court.

Democrats, meanwhile, have introduced a proposal that would repeal the 1849 law as well as an array of other laws on the books in Wisconsin that restrict abortion access, including a state-mandated requirement that patients have two appointments before an abortion, a requirement that doctors must provide a state-mandated booklet that contains medically inaccurate information, an ultrasound requirement and a law that stops physician assistants, nurse practitioners and APRNs from performing abortions.

The bill would also repeal state laws that prohibit coverage of abortion care under insurance plans for public employees, plans on the Affordable Care Act’s marketplace for Wisconsin and under BadgerCare. Federal law also bans the use of federal money for abortion with exceptions in the case that a pregnancy endangers the life of a pregnant person or is the result of rape or incest.

The poll also found that 78% of voters support protecting health care professionals from criminal charges related to providing abortion care, that 72% of voters favor allowing advanced health care providers like nurse practitioners and midwives to provide abortion care, 70% favor funding for health care clinics that provide abortion care and 68% favor Medicaid and Badgercare coverage for abortion care.

Atkinson stood alongside Wisconsin Democrats to introduce the bill in May, saying it was the “next step in protecting and securing full reproductive freedom for people in Wisconsin.”

The bill has not progressed in the Republican-led Legislature, though the authors of the bill Rep. Lisa Subeck (D-Madison) and Sen. Kelda Roys (D-Madison) have said they plan to continue to advocate for better abortion access in the state, even if it has to wait until next session.

“This legislation is about making a future here in Wisconsin, where everyone has access to the health care in need, where every single person has the ability to thrive. This is legislation that Wisconsinites broadly support, that Americans broadly support,” Roys said. “[The] only people who don’t broadly support it are the Republican politicians who have gerrymandered themselves away from any voter accountability that is coming to an end. We will be getting a hearing on this bill if it’s not this session, it will be next session back — mark my words.”

Democrats in Wisconsin and nationally have used abortion as a motivator in elections since 2022, including in key state Supreme Court elections and in competitive state legislative races. State Democrats are aiming to win a trifecta in 2026 and need to flip the Assembly and Senate to do so — a goal that could be within their reach under the legislative maps put in place last year. The last time Democrats held majorities in the state Legislature was during the 2009-2010 legislative session

The survey also asked participants about their electoral preferences, finding that 62% of respondents said they were more likely to vote for a candidate who supports guaranteeing legal abortion while 57% said they would vote against a candidate who wants to make abortion illegal.

The poll also found that 70% of voters would support a referendum that guarantees the legal right to an abortion in Wisconsin if it appeared on ballots. It also found that 81% of voters support passing legislation to conduct a statewide referendum on abortion.

Wisconsin does not have a voter-led ballot initiative process. There is a process to allow voters to decide whether to ratify a law through a referendum, but under that, it would need to be passed by the Legislature and signed by Gov. Tony Evers. Democrats and Republicans have at times expressed support for placing a question about abortion on the ballot — both advisory and binding — though neither has agreed on the details.

Survey finds majority of Wisconsinites support Planned Parenthood and abortion access was originally published by the Wisconsin Examiner.