SALT LAKE CITY — Utahns are split over whether the U.S. Supreme Court should overturn its landmark decision on abortion, Roe v. Wade, according to a UtahPolicy.com poll released Wednesday.
The poll found 44 percent of the state's voters support the 1973 ruling that legalized abortion while 37 percent think it should be overturned, and 19 percent don't know what they want to see happen.
The findings come as the U.S. Senate considers the confirmation of Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court, a federal judge seen as a possible fifth and deciding vote to potentially overturn Roe v. Wade.
The poll was conducted for the online political news source by Dan Jones & Associates of 809 likely Utah voters Aug. 22-31 and has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.4 percent.
"I think attitudes have been changing on that and I think it's an accurate representation," said UtahPolicy.com publisher LaVarr Webb, who writes a political column for the Deseret News.
But Webb said the number who said they were undecided in the poll reflects "a fair amount of ambiguity and maybe confusion" surrounding what overturning Roe v. Wade would mean for the legality of abortion, something that would be decided state by state.
He said the poll focused on the opinion because it has been in the news as a result of the Supreme Court vacancy, but the results may have been different had pollsters asked whether Utahns support or oppose abortion.
Advocates on both sides of the abortion debate saw something to like about the poll results.
"I am actually encouraged. I just think we haven't been out there educating over the years," Utah Eagle Forum President Gayle Ruzicka said. "Time has a way of becoming accepting and yet babies keep dying."
Ruzicka, who said overturning Roe v. Wade has always been the goal of those like her who support "all life, born and unborn," said there's an opportunity to win over many of the one-fifth of Utahns who are still undecided.
She said advances in science, including in ultrasound technology, will help make the case and shift the debate from what she described as the "fear of overturning" Roe v. Wade to seeing the unborn as "living little children."
For Planned Parenthood of Utah CEO Karrie Galloway, the poll suggests Utahns view abortion as a personal rather than political issue.
"So many people have had someone that they know, that they love, a family member, who's had to struggle with an unintended pregnancy," Galloway said, adding that means the support in the poll isn't surprising.
Utahns also "realize that this current administration has been so blatant in saying they want to overturn Roe," she said. "I would hope that compassionate, caring people would look at not a knee-jerk reaction."