A majority of Florida voters say the state's ban on abortions after six weeks that is set to take place next month is too severe, an Emerson College poll revealed Thursday.
The poll of 1,000 registered voters taken Tuesday and Wednesday found 57% say the six-week ban is too strict, 15% saying it is not strict enough, and 28% saying it's about right. The poll has a margin of error of 3 percentage points.
The Florida Supreme Court last week upheld the state's current 15-week ban as constitutional, and the six-week ban is set to start May 1. The new limit is designed around the time a fetal heartbeat begins and the law reportedly has broad exceptions for rape, incest, fetal abnormalities, and if the life of the mother is at risk.
Florida voters will consider a ballot measure in November establishing a constitutional right to an abortion before fetal viability, which is estimated at about 24 weeks, or when necessary to protect the mother's health, according to Ballotpedia.
The poll found that 42% said they will vote for the measure, 32% were unsure, and 25% said no. Ballot measures in Florida need 60% of the vote to pass.
“Fifty-six percent of Democrats and 44% of independents plan to vote in favor of a constitutional right to abortion before fetal viability,” Spencer Kimball, executive director of Emerson College Polling, said in a news release. “Republicans are more split: 36% plan to vote no, 30% yes, and 34% are unsure.”
Regarding the state's 15-week ban, the poll found that 43% said it was too strict, 36% said it was just right, and 21% said it was not strict enough.