Why Abortion Is a Hot Election Issue in the US

In overturning Roe v. Wade, the US Supreme Court didn’t so much settle America’s long-running fight over abortion as push the battle to states. The court’s June 2022 ruling in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization repealed constitutional and thus nationwide protections for abortions that had been in place since 1973. That has given conservative governors and legislatures the power they had long sought to limit the medical procedure in their states; access to it now largely depends on where you live.

That has made abortion a potent issue in the Nov. 5 general election. Americans’ thoughts on the issue could be a factor in who winds up in the White House next year: Vice President Kamala Harris, a strong supporter of abortion rights, or former President Donald Trump, who has taken credit for Roe’s demise. In addition, through ballot initiatives in ten states, voters will have a direct say on abortion rights where they live.