Most Republicans say Roe v. Wade should not be overturned

Roe v. Wade, the 1973 Supreme Court decision that established the legal right to abortion, is back in the spotlight — but not many Americans think it should be up for debate.

Support for the ruling is at an all-time high, an NBC News and Wall Street Journal poll found, with 71 percent of American voters believing that Roe should not be overturned and 23 percent supporting a reversal.

Back in 1989, only 58 percent of Americans wanted to keep the decision in place. Support for Roe has steadily climbed over the years, poll data shows, especially among Democrats. Most recently, 88 percent of Democrats said they wanted the ruling to remain, while 76 percent of independent voters agreed. Most Republicans also support Roe, with 52 percent wanting to keep it in place and 39 percent preferring that it be overturned.

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About 4 in 10 voters said they'd rather vote for a candidate who supports abortion rights, the poll found, including 15 percent of Republicans. On the other hand, 26 percent of respondents said they're more likely to vote for candidates who would restrict abortion, and 29 percent don't consider the issue a factor in their voting.

The NBC poll was conducted July 15-18 among 900 registered voters reached by phone. It has a margin of error of 3.3 percentage points.