FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

24-hour Waiting Period and Informed Consent for Abortion, Now Unenforceable, Hold Strong Support from Michigan Voters

26 June 2024

Poll shows that, while voters want access to abortion, the overwhelming majority favor a regulated system that protects the health of the patient, minors, parents and taxpayers

Contact: Tom Shields, Mobile: 517-449-9810, toms@mrgmi.com

Jenell Leonard, Mobile: 765-210-7971, jleonard@mrgmi.com

LANSING, Mich. – An overwhelming majority of Michigan voters support retaining provisions of Michigan law related to abortion, which, while maintaining access to abortion, safeguard the health and safety of women, minors, parents, and taxpayers. These provisions include a 24-hour waiting period to allow for informed consent before having an abortion procedure and parental consent, according to the MRG, LLC-commissioned Spring 2024 Michigan Poll®. The statewide survey of 600 registered voters was conducted April 8-11.

"Even with a woman's right to choose being codified in the Michigan Constitution via Proposal 3, a vast majority of voters – including those who consider themselves to be pro-choice – still support certain safeguards surrounding the procedure, including the 24-hour waiting period and informed consent for an abortion," said Jenell Leonard, owner of MRG, LLC. "The protection of the patient, in particular, is an important consideration across the state and beyond political spectrums."

66% of all voters support the 24-hour waiting period and informed consent

Poll results also show that 66% of voters support maintaining the 24-hour waiting period so women can receive proper information regarding the procedure. Only 24% oppose the regulation. The 24-hour waiting period is also favored in every state geographical area and amongst all demographic groups tested.

68% of all voters support parental consent

Sixty-eight percent of all voters support the current requirement that minor-age children must have the consent of a parent before having an abortion, while only 22% oppose the regulation. This protection is supported in every state geographical area (including 79% of Detroit voters), among all demographic groups tested, including women, pro-choice, and pro-life supporters, and across the political spectrum of Republicans, Democrats, and Independent voters.

61% of all voters oppose their taxpayer dollars paying for abortions

While considered a woman's right to choose by a 61%-31% margin, voters don't want their tax dollars paying for the choice of having an elective abortion. The support is shared across all geographical areas, except Oakland County, where 51% support taxpayer-funded abortions; 42% oppose. The highest opposition to taxpayer-funded abortion is found in Macomb County, where 74% oppose using taxpayer dollars. Pro-choice voters are split on the issue, and Republicans and Independents strongly oppose it.

The Questions and Results

The results and the wording of the questions asked by MRG follow.

As you may be aware, voters in Michigan passed Proposal 3 in last November’s election that legalized abortions with virtually no restrictions. However, Proposal 3 does allow the state to regulate abortions except when an abortion would save the life, physical health, or mental health of the mother. I’d like to read you a list of some current state laws that regulate the practice of abortion. Please tell me if you support or oppose each one.

Q. A regulation that requires a 24-hour waiting period to allow for informed consent allowing a doctor to provide information on the abortion procedure, and common risks before a woman receives an abortion? [IF SUPPORT OR OPPOSE, ASK: Would you say that you strongly support/oppose or just somewhat support/oppose?]

Q. Requiring parents to consent to their minor-age child having an abortion?

[IF SUPPORT OR OPPOSE, ASK: Would you say that you strongly support/oppose or just somewhat support/oppose?]

Q. Do you believe that your taxpayer dollars should be used to pay for abortions in Michigan?

MRG Michigan Poll® Spring 2024

The survey of 600 likely Michigan voters was commissioned by Right to Life of Michigan and conducted by live phone interview from April 8 to April 11, 2024 with a +1.3 DEM sample. The sample was randomly drawn from a listed sample of all registered voters with a history of voting and stratified by city and township to reflect voter turnout. Quotas for gender and cell phone interviews were met within each geographic area, and extra efforts were made to reach African Americans. Some columns or results may not add up to 100% because of rounding. Individual rounding may impact final totals. This survey yields a sampling margin of error of ±4 percent with a 95 percent confidence interval. The sampling margin of error for subgroups may be higher depending on the size of the subgroup.

About Marketing Resource Group (MRG)

Lansing, Michigan-based Marketing Resource Group (www.mrgmi.com) is an award-winning PR firm representing corporate, association, nonprofit, and private clients with interests in Michigan. MRG offers expertise in public affairs, communications, political campaign management, and public opinion survey research. For more than thirty years, MRG has conducted its bi-annual omnibus Michigan Poll®, tracking the pulse of Michigan voters on key statewide public policy and political issues. MRG is the only Michigan public opinion survey research firm that maintains nearly 40 years of trend analyses of voter attitudes related to state and national leaders, political parties, and the political and economic climate in Michigan. Follow MRG on X @mrgmichigan and on Facebook.