Moral Convictions on the Move: Abortion Ballot Outcomes and Migration Motivation

Shifts in abortion policy can create or reinforce mismatches between local laws and personal values, disrupting people’s sense of place. A corollary of the ideological migration hypothesis predicts that people are motivated to leave states whose laws conflict with their values to satisfy belonging needs. In Study 1 ( N = 1,227), pro-life and pro-choice residents of Florida and Missouri were surveyed before and after the 2024 U.S. presidential election, in which both states voted on abortion access. Missouri’s measure passed; Florida’s failed. Individuals whose attitudes conflicted with the outcome reported reduced belonging, lower life satisfaction, and greater migration desire. Study 2 experimentally replicated these effects among Arkansas residents ( N = 814), showing that envisioning a value-incongruent ballot outcome reduced belonging and increased migration consideration. Effects were strongest among participants who moralized abortion, suggesting that moral convictions may be important for the impact of policy outcomes on belonging and migration motivation.