WASHINGTON — Abortion was a factor for a majority of voters in battleground races in the 2026 midterm elections, according to new exit polling released Monday by Reproductive Freedom for All, the national abortion rights advocacy group.
The survey, conducted by Impact Research, found that abortion played a role in the decisions of 53% of battleground voters, including 61% of women without college degrees, the group said.
The group said the polling also showed that voters supported, 59% to 35%, Congress passing a law that would expand protections for access to reproductive health care, including abortion. Among independents, support stood at 61%, with 32% opposed, according to the release. More than 4 in 10 voters said such a law should be a very or extremely high priority for Congress, the group said.
According to the group, 48% of battleground voters, and 53% of independents, said they would be less likely to back a Republican candidate who supports a national abortion ban. The organization said 54% of those surveyed viewed Republicans as more extreme on abortion, compared with 38% who said the same of Democrats.
The release also highlighted Maine’s Senate race. Among Maine voters who heard about the candidates’ positions on abortion, Democrat Troy Jackson, now the state’s senator-elect, defeated Republican Sen. Susan Collins 55% to 45%, the group said. It said 47% of Maine voters surveyed believed Collins held different views on abortion than they did, while 29% said she shared their views.
The organization said nearly 6 in 10 battleground voters agreed that having a child is the single biggest economic decision most people make, and it pointed to Jackson and Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs as Democrats who framed abortion as an economic issue.
“The data is clear: Abortion played a role in how voters cast their ballots,” said Mini Timmaraju, president and CEO of Reproductive Freedom for All. She said voters view reproductive freedom as an affordability issue and that Congress now has a mandate to take bold action to protect abortion access.
The release did not include the poll’s sample size, field dates or margin of error; the group said full findings were published in memos from Impact Research.
Reproductive Freedom for All, formerly known as NARAL Pro-Choice America, says it has more than 4.5 million members.
This report is based on information from Reproductive Freedom for All.
Source: Reproductive Freedom for All
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