Over the past 50 years, few issues have more deeply inflamed the passions of American voters than abortion. For many, access to abortion is a matter of personal health care and self-autonomy. For others, it raises broader societal questions about the nature and sanctity of human life.

The Supreme Court’s recent ruling in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health — which overturned Roe v. Wade — has thrown accelerant on the already contentious abortion debate, opening the door to a new range of potential state-level abortion policies.

In the wake of that ruling, we recently surveyed a representative sample of 600 Floridians to learn how they feel about the Supreme Court ruling and what they’d like to see the state of Florida do next. While a majority disapprove of the decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, there is little agreement about what Florida’s abortion policy should look like moving forward. Taken as a whole, the results underscore both the partisan nature of the abortion debate, as well as the nuanced approach that many voters take to the issue.

The survey — fielded between July 2 and July 10 — found that 57% of Floridians either “somewhat disapprove” or “strongly disapprove” of the recent Supreme Court ruling. Notably 43% said that they “strongly disapprove” of the decision, underscoring the intensity of opinion that many voters hold on the issue.

As expected, we found sharp partisan divisions when it came to the Supreme Court ruling, with 63% of Republicans saying that they favor the decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, compared with only 10% of Democrats and 24% of Independents.

At a glance, we might infer from these responses some level of majority support for the codification of abortion access in Florida. However, a closer examination of the results suggests that voters have more nuanced opinions on what many see as a personal health care issue with complicated moral implications. When asked what actions they would most like to see the state take following the Supreme Court’s decision, only a third (33%) said that Florida should pass a law protecting abortion access.

Conversely, 44% supported some level of restriction on abortion access, ranging from a “no-exceptions” ban on abortions in the state (9%), to a ban on abortion with exceptions for rape, incest and the mother’s health (21%), or a restriction on abortions performed 15 weeks after conception (15%). Only 13% said that the state should “do nothing” and leave abortion laws as they are, while 8% were “unsure.”

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While these opinions varied sharply across partisan lines, we did find bipartisan support for a range of ancillary policy interventions. For instance, 68% said that they would support increased federal assistance to support pregnant women, including a majority of Democrats and Republicans.

Additionally, a majority in both parties voiced support for increasing funding in support of sex education (71% overall) and federal subsidies to support child adoption (80%).

These areas of bipartisan agreement are notable — particularly in a deeply polarized political environment — but it should also be emphasized that these steps would likely do little to ameliorate deeply held beliefs about abortion access on either side of the aisle.

Overall, the survey results remind us that positions on abortion are indeed deeply held, personal values, and also that abortion remains — for many Floridians — a more complicated and nuanced policy question than the way either political party often frames it. It would be a stretch to suggest that a majority of Floridians are well-represented by either side of the prevailing policy debate.

Stephen Neely is an associate professor at USF’s School of Public Affairs. Bethany Bowra is a doctoral candidate at Florida International University. Her research focuses on interbranch relations, political communication and social media.