Support for Abortion Rights Doesn't Always Mean Support for Kamala Harris—Analysis of CBS News Polls

In the 2024 elections, voters in ten states faced decisions on abortion-related measures.

Seven states saw voters choosing to protect abortion rights, yet this support did not all funnel into backing Kamala Harris, despite her focus on this issue during her campaign.

In states like Arizona and Nevada, pivotal in the election, people voted to enshrine abortion rights in their constitutions, but Harris lagged behind Donald Trump in support there. CBS News has Nevada called for Trump, while Arizona is leaning Republican.

Economy Priorities Override Abortion Rights

Those who registered 'yes' for abortion measures like Proposition 139 in Arizona and Question 6 in Nevada tended to include a significant number who still chose Trump over Harris.

For these voters, economic concerns were at the forefront when choosing their presidential candidate. Many reported financial difficulties compared to four years prior, which influenced their decision even as they supported abortion rights.

Demographic Patterns in Voting

Across Nevada, the separation between votes for Harris and abortion rights measures was seen across various demographic groups—men, women, younger audiences, and independent voters—all showed stronger numbers for the referendum than for Harris.

Harris specifically reached out to Republicans, particularly women, on the topic of abortion rights, yet gained limited support. In Nevada, although a third of Republican women agreed to protect abortion rights, only single-digit percentages backed her candidacy.

Latino voters, another significant demographic, showed a similar trend. Although they mostly supported the abortion measure, their support for Harris was less than for Biden in 2020.

Pre-election surveys by CBS News indicated that Harris's warning about potential national abortion bans under Trump did not resonate beyond the Democratic base, which might explain why some voters backed abortion rights locally but chose Trump.