Abortion Rights Hang In The Balance In The Midterm Elections

The fate of abortion rights and abortion access will be determined this November at the state and local level during midterm elections. Since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in June of this year, most abortions have been banned in 14 states and are actively threatened in seven. Now, voters will directly influence the future of abortion in five states, while local gubernatorial and judicial races across the country will similarly shape the makeup of each state’s abortion access—either acting as stopgaps between the state and abortion bans or paving the way for expanding an already staggering abortion desert.

“It’s never been a more important time for voters to really make our voices heard, and the time is now for candidates to have the boldest plans that they can have on abortion rights and access,” said Morgan Hopkins, interim executive director of campaigns and strategies at All* Above All Action Fund. “It’s not enough to say that you would restore protections or restore the right to abortion, especially if you were in a state that has had restrictions for decades. We really need to see full, comprehensive policy platforms from all candidates running for office.”

All eyes will be on battleground states like Pennsylvania and Florida, where conservative legislators have continuously threatened abortion rights. In Pennsylvania, the GOP-controlled General Assembly has repeatedly tried to pass an abortion ban. In July, they sidestepped Democratic and pro-abortion Gov. Tom Wolf’s veto power by approving a constitutional amendment that would allow for a statewide abortion ban in the future. With Wolf’s term ending this January 2023, voters will have to choose between two gubernatorial candidates with starkly different positions on abortion access.