LINCOLN, Neb. – Just days ahead of a new legislative session, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Nebraska is releasing results of a commissioned poll that shows most Nebraska voters do not want lawmakers to enact new abortion bans.

The poll, conducted by Hart Research in November, shows 59% of respondents opposed “state senators enacting more restrictive abortion bans in Nebraska” compared to just 36% of respondents who supported it. Results showed an even stronger gap in intensity, with 48% of voters who took the survey saying they strongly opposed more bans compared to just 24% of voters who said they were strongly in favor.

Compared to polling conducted last March, the results show more Nebraskans in support of abortion rights. According to the new polling, Nebraskans opposed to new abortion bans outnumber abortion ban supporters in both rural and urban communities as well as each congressional district.

Scout Richters, ACLU of Nebraska senior legal and policy counsel, said state senators should take notice of these results and keep abortion legal.

“Months since the end of Roe, we are seeing the horrifying impact of extreme abortion bans in other states, and Nebraskans do not want that here,” Richters said. “The freedom to control our bodies, lives and futures is vital to all of us. That is why a majority of Nebraskans support abortion access. The bottom line is that it is time for our policies to reflect our shared belief that health care decisions belong to Nebraskans and their medical providers, not politicians.”

Hart Research surveyed 604 registered Nebraska voters for the poll between Nov. 12 and 16. The polling is representative of registered voters statewide in terms of demographics, geography and political affiliation.