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New Poll: Womens Equality Act Not Controversial Among Voters

Majorities Support, Including Abortion Rights Protections


June 10, 2014 - The National Institute for Reproductive Health commissioned
PerryUndem Research/Communication to conduct a statewide survey of voters on their
views toward the Womens Equality Act. The survey gauged support for individual
proposals, such as having stronger laws to ensure equal pay for equal work, protecting a
womans right to decide to have an abortion, and strengthening human trafficking
laws. The poll found majorities of support for the Act, and a 50-point margin for
including abortion protections in the Act versus excluding them. A majority of voters
say they would feel disappointed and a third would be angry if the New York State
Senate does not pass this plan before ending their session.

The survey was conducted among n = 802 registered voters statewide from May 20 to
26, 2014. The survey was administered by telephone including landlines and cell
phones. The margin of sampling error is + 3.5 percentage points.

Key findings include:

The Womens Equality Act is not controversial among voters large majorities
(84 percent) support the Act after hearing a series of proposals included in the
Act.

Support for the Womens Equality Act crosses all demographic segments, party
affiliations, and regions of the state.

New York is a pro-choice state; most voters support Roe v. Wade (78 percent).
Therefore, it is not surprising that 77 percent of voters support the specific point
in the 10-point plan that protects a womans right to have an abortion.


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By a 50-point margin, voters side with elected officials who want to pass the 10-
point plan that includes protecting a womans right to have an abortion
compared to elected officials who want to take out this protection and pass a 9-
point plan (73 percent vs. 23 percent).

The Womens Equality Act appears to be a voting issue. Sixty-eight percent of
voters say they would be more likely to vote to re-elect their elected official if he
or she supported the 10-point Womens Equality Act (vs. 20 percent who say less
likely to vote to re-elect). Only nine percent says this issue would not make a
difference in their vote.

When asked how they would feel if the New York State Senate did not pass the
Womens Equality Act before ending the session in June, a majority of voters (63
percent) say they would be disappointed, followed by one-third (34 percent)
saying angry.


Following are detailed findings.


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Detailed Findings

Voters support the key provisions of the Womens Equality Act. Respondents were
presented with a series of the most well-known proposals included in the Womens
Equality Act. Every proposal garners a majority of support across voters with most
voters expressing strong support. (See Table 1.)


Table 1: Reactions to Proposals in the Womens Equality Act
Here are some ideas in the
Governors Womens Equality Act.
This is a 10-point plan for removing
legal barriers that get in the way of
equal opportunities for women. Tell
me if you would support or oppose
each idea.



Total
Supp



Strngly
Supp



Smwt
Supp



Smwt
Opp



Strngly
Opp



DK
Having stronger laws to ensure
equal pay for equal work

94

77

17

2

3

1
Making sure employers make
reasonable accommodations for
their pregnant employees, like to
take extra bathroom breaks or sit
during their shift if needed

91

70

21

4

4

2
Ending housing discrimination
against domestic violence victims

87

71

16

5

3

5
Ending job discrimination against
women who are caring for children
at home

87

70

17

6

4

3
Strengthening human trafficking
laws that currently punish the
victims more than the traffickers
and buyers

77

66

11

5

12

6
Protecting a womans right to
decide to have an abortion as it was
decided in the landmark case of Roe
v. Wade

77

61

16

4

14

4
Ending landlord discrimination
against tenants who receive Section
8, most of whom are women

76

51

25

6

8

9

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After hearing these ideas, a majority of voters support the Womens Equality Act.
Eight-four percent support the Act, including 61 percent who express strong support.
One in ten voters (11 percent) oppose the act. (See Figure 1.)



Q. Based on the ideas you just heard, would you support or oppose the governors Womens Equality Act?
(Is that strongly or somewhat support/oppose?)



Majorities across all demographic groups, party affiliations, and regions of the state
support the Womens Equality Act. (See Table 2.)

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Table 2: Support or Oppose the Womens Equality Act

% Support

% Oppose
Total 84 11
Men 79 15
Women 89 7
White 81 12
African American 92 5
Democrat 94 3
Independent 79 16
Republican 76 17
Unmarried women 87 6
Five boroughs 90 5
Suburbs/Long Island 86 8
Upstate West 75 21
Upstate East 75 18
NYC/Suburbs/Long Island men 84 10
NYC/Suburbs/Long Island women 92 4
Upstate men 69 25
Upstate women 81 13


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By a 57-point margin, voters support the point in the Womens Equality Act that
protects a womans right have an abortion. Seventy-seven percent of voters say they
support the point of the Womens Equality Act that protects a womans right to have an
abortion, including if her health is at risk later in pregnancy. Twenty-percent oppose
this part of the Act (See Figure 2.)



Q. One of the points in the Governors 10-point plan is protecting a womans right to decide to have an
abortion, including if her health is at risk later in pregnancy. The Governor proposes that the New York
law should reflect the protections recognized in the landmark Roe v. Wade case. Do you support or
oppose this point of the 10-point plan to protect a womans right to have an abortion?



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Table 3: Support or Oppose Point to Protect a Womans
Right to Have an Abortion
% Support % Oppose
Total 77 20
Men 74 23
Women 79 17
White 75 21
African American 84 14
Democrat 88 10
Independent 72 26
Republican 62 33
Unmarried women 84 14
Five boroughs 80 19
Suburbs/Long Island 82 13
Upstate West 60 35
Upstate East 73 23
NYC/Suburbs/Long Island men 77 20
NYC/Suburbs/Long Island women 84 13
Upstate men 69 29
Upstate women 66 28


One of the reasons New York voters support this protection in the Womens Equality
Act is that they are largely pro-choice. Nearly eight in ten New York voters (78 percent)
support Roe v. Wade; 19 percent oppose. (See Figure 3.)


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Q. Regardless of how you feel about the Womens Equality Act, would you say you tend to support or oppose
Roe v. Wade, the landmark Supreme Court decision that said a woman has a right to have a legal abortion?




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Table 4: Support or Oppose Roe v. Wade
% Support % Oppose
Total 78 19
Men 76 20
Women 80 17
White 77 20
African American 83 13
Democrat 88 10
Independent 74 22
Republican 63 31
Unmarried women 87 12
Five boroughs 83 13
Suburbs/Long Island 81 18
Upstate West 62 33
Upstate East 75 20
NYC/Suburbs/Long Island men 80 16
NYC/Suburbs/Long Island women 83 14
Upstate men 68 27
Upstate women 71 24



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Additionally, 81 percent of voters think a womans ability to control whether or when
she has children is an important part of equality for women. (See Figure 4.)




Q. Do you think a womans ability to control whether or when she has children is an important part of
equality for women?


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Table 5: Importance of Controlling Whether and When to Have Children

% Very
important

% Somewhat
important

% Not
important
Total 63 18 15
Men 59 22 16
Women 66 14 14
White 62 17 16
African American 71 15 10
Democrat 72 13 12
Independent 59 23 14
Republican 52 20 24
Unmarried women 63 19 14
Five boroughs 66 18 14
Suburbs/Long Island 65 16 14
Upstate West 52 21 15
Upstate East 62 18 17
NYC/Suburbs/Long Island men 61 23 14
NYC/Suburbs/Long Island women 69 12 14
Upstate men 55 20 18
Upstate women 60 19 14



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Voters side with elected officials who support the 10-point plan with abortion
protections. The poll described a debate happening among elected officials who
support the 10-point plan and those who want to vote on a 9-point plan that excludes
protections for abortion:


There is talk right now between two groups of elected officials. Tell me which one you
agree with more.

Elected officials who support the 10-point plan say that a womans ability to decide
whether or when she has a child is central to her ability to get an education, help earn an
income for her and her family, and be as healthy as she can be. This is why they support
the 10-point plan that includes protecting a womans right to have an abortion.

Other elected officials want to vote on a 9-point plan instead of a 10-point plan. Their 9-
point plan would take out the point about protecting a womans right to have an abortion.
These elected officials personally disagree with abortion and do not want to protect that
right.

Which elected officials do you agree with more those who want the 10-point plan or
those who want the 9-point plan?


By a margin of 50-points, New York voters agree more with elected officials who
support the 10-point plan (73 percent) compared to those who want the 9-point plan (23
percent). (See Figure 5.)


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Table 6: Agree with 10-Point Plan or 9-Point Plan without Abortion Rights
% Agree w/
10 point plan
% Agree w/
9 point plan
Total 73 23
Men 69 26
Women 76 20
White 71 24
African American 84 15
Democrat 86 13
Independent 68 27
Republican 56 37
Unmarried women 79 17
Five boroughs 80 19
Suburbs/Long Island 76 20
Upstate West 58 36
Upstate East 66 25
NYC/Suburbs/Long Island men 73 24
NYC/Suburbs/Long Island women 82 16
Upstate men 61 32
Upstate women 63 29


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Voters are more likely to vote to re-elect an elected official if he or she supported
the 10-point Womens Equality Act. Sixty-eight percent say they would be more likely
to vote to re-elected their representative if he or she supported the Womens Equality
Act 46 percent much more likely. Twenty percent of voters say they would be less
likely to vote to re-elect.




Q. If your elected official supported the 10-point plan, would you be more or less likely to vote to re-elect
him or her? (Would you be much more/less or just somewhat more/less likely?)


Voters across all demographic groups, party affiliations, and regions of the state say
they are more likely to support than oppose their elected official if he or she passed the
10-point Womens Equality Act. (See Table 7.)


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Table 7: More or less likely to vote to re-elect if support 10-point plan
% More
likely to vote
for
% Less likely
to vote for
% Makes no
difference
Total 68 20 9
Men 63 22 11
Women 72 17 7
White 65 21 9
African American 78 13 8
Democrat 85 10 4
Independent 63 22 10
Republican 42 35 15
Unmarried women 77 13 8
Five boroughs 75 13 8
Suburbs/Long Island 72 20 5
Upstate West 49 32 12
Upstate East 60 21 13
NYC/Suburbs/Long Island men 69 18 9
NYC/Suburbs/Long Island women 78 15 5
Upstate men 52 31 14
Upstate women 59 21 11



If the New York State Senate does not pass the Womens Equality Act before the
session ends in June, a majority of voters say they would feel disappointed. When
asked how they would feel if the New York State Senate did not pass the Womens
Equality Act before ending the session in June, a majority of voters (63 percent) say
they would be disappointed, followed by one-third (34 percent) saying angry.



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Q. The New York State Assembly has passed the Womens Equality Act, but the State Senate has refused to
put it to a vote. If the New York State Senate does not pass this plan before ending their session this June,
would you feel [angry, disappointed, happy, hopeful, or something else]?