Voters across the country — through Edison Research’s exit polls — have consistently told the American public that the economy is the number one factor in how they vote.
However, after the Dobbs decision in June of 2022, another issue has shifted to the forefront of the national political perspective: access to abortion. While the issue is infinitely more complex than a yes or no vote, voters in a number of states have been able to express their position on this issue as a yes or no vote at the ballot box.
On November 7th, Ohioans voted on this issue and 57% voted “Yes” to codifying a right to abortion in the Ohio Constitution.
While there have been many articles on the divides between age, race, sex and ideology when it comes to access to abortion, one topic that has not been addressed as widely is the correlation between voting for access to abortion and the voter’s education.
Among those with any education beyond high school, whether an associate’s degree, some time spent in college (but no degree), or a bachelor’s degree or higher, 60% voted in favor of the measure, while among those with no formal education past high school, only 41% voted in favor of the abortion measure.
In a year where there were few statewide elections, Ohio’s vote on the abortion amendment grabbed the headlines. As pundits look towards 2024, there is a tendency to focus on the differences between voters with and without a college degree when analyzing the vote by education level. However, any level of education past high school made a difference in voter preference on this issue in Ohio.
