POLL: IOWA SUPPORT FOR PROTECT LIFE AMENDMENT ‘NECK-AND-NECK’
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: June 29, 2021
Survey of likely voters reveals race within margin of error.
Des Moines, IOWA – A poll of likely voters commissioned by the Iowa Coalition of Pro-Life Leaders and completed by Public Opinion Strategies earlier this month reveals support and opposition to the proposed Protect Life Amendment to the Iowa Constitution in a virtual tie – 45 to 47 percent, respectively, within the poll’s margin of error of plus or minus 4.38 percent.
When asked whether Iowans “should be given the opportunity to vote on the amendment,” however, an overwhelming 84 percent of voters said yes.
What’s more, when poll respondents had the opportunity to hear arguments in favor of the amendment, a significant number moved to support, resulting in a net 50-40 percent of voters favoring passage of the Protect Life Amendment.
“This poll affirms what we have known for months,” said Maggie DeWitte, executive director of Iowans for Life and chair of the Coalition. “When Iowans have the opportunity to understand what’s at stake and what the amendment is actually about – protecting babies’ lives from efforts to legalize abortion to the day of birth and forcing Iowans to pay for it – they support the Protect Life Amendment. Everyday Iowans do not want unelected, activist judges turning our state into an extremist abortion destination.'”
“The Iowa Supreme Court’s 2018 radical decision in Planned Parenthood v. Reynolds laid a foundation to undo every protection Iowa mothers and unborn children have from unregulated abortion extremism,” added Bob Vander Plaats, president and CEO of The FAMiLY Leader, a Coalition member organization. “But as this poll affirmed, Iowans are appalled by painful and grisly late-term abortions. They can’t imagine being forced to pay for it. And if the courts are going to push that on us, then we will pass the Protect Life Amendment to ensure We the People, and not activist judges, determine what kind of state Iowa will be.”
Public Opinion Strategies conducted the poll of 500 likely Iowa voters from June 1-3, 2021. An executive summary of the poll’s results revealed the following highlights:
- Support for the Protect Life Amendment is neck-and-neck, within the margin of error.
- A large majority of Iowa voters want to vote on the Protect Life Amendment.
- 81% of Iowa voters indicate they believed there should be legal limits to abortion.
- A significant majority of Iowa voters oppose taxpayer funding of abortions.
- The data demonstrates ample low-hanging fruit in support of passage.
- Passage has the intensity advantage.
- The data suggests an information campaign would result in a significant increase in support for the measure.
The June 1-3 poll differs significantly from the Selzer & Co. poll conducted for the Des Moines Register/Mediacom and released in March, which polled general population Iowa adults (rather than likely voters) and did not poll the amendment’s actual language as passed by the Iowa Legislature.
A copy of the executive summary from Public Opinion Strategies, including additional details on each summary highlight, can be downloaded here: http://www.thefamilyleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/210611-Protect-Life-Amendment-poll-summary.pdf
For more information about the Iowa Coalition of Pro-Life Leaders, visit: https://iowaprolifeleaders.com/
Contact: Drew Zahn
Drew@TheFamilyLeader.com; 515-263-3495, ext. 109 (office), 515-835-9645 (cell)
Drew Zahn, Communications Director
The FAMiLY Leader
P.O. Box 42245
Urbandale, IA 50323
515-263-3495 x109 (desk)
515-835-9645 (cell)
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