The 2023 Ball State University Hoosier Survey showed that Hoosiers haven’t changed their minds much on issues like marijuana use and abortion from 2022.
The survey is meant to be non-partisan and was conducted completely online and anonymously with around 600 Indiana adults.
Indiana is historically a red state, but most respondents answered in favor of legalizing marijuana and abortion, at least in some cases. The results were nearly the same as the results from the 2022 survey.
Read more: Indiana now surrounded on three sides by recreational marijuana
Associate Professor of Political Science Chad Kinsella, who has helped lead the survey for multiple years, said he has seen more of a trend away from a religious focus and more towards allowing individuals to make their own choices.
“You kind of have that libertarian wing of the Republican Party who may be less on taxes and some of those things but a lot more individual liberty-minded, if you will, towards the idea of allowing people to make their own decisions in personal affairs,” Kinsella said.
On the question of legalizing marijuana, 54.2% said it should be legal for personal use, 32.2% said it should be legal for medicinal use and 9.8% it should not be legal.
On the question of legalizing abortion, 31.3% said it should be legal in some cases, 27.8% said it should be legal in all cases, 27.2% said it should be illegal in some cases, and 10.3% said it should be illegal in all cases.
“So, kind of the trend overall has been less religious-focused and a lot more allowing individuals to make their own choices in terms of a lot of these cultural war issues, if you will,” Kinsella said.
Read more: Indiana’s abortion ban has few exceptions. But navigating them can be difficult for providers
