Abortion on the ballot

In June 2022, the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, ending the federal right to an abortion. Across the country, Republican-led state legislatures moved to put abortion restrictions in place. The decision, Republicans often said, had been returned to the states.

But public opinion on abortion has been clear: The majority of Americans believe that the procedure should be legal in all or most cases, a fact that seems to run counter to the flood of new bans and restrictions. Now, in the first presidential election since Roe ended, 10 states will vote directly on abortion rights. Half of those measures could overturn active bans.

But even in states where voters aren’t weighing in on specific constitutional amendments, abortion is shaping the 2024 election up and down the ballot. The post-Roe world has revealed connections between abortion and a wider array of health care decisions, the economy, and myriad intersecting issues — climate, IVF, racial justice. And repeated polls have shown that voters across the country believe abortion is a critical issue in this election — prioritizing it more than they ever have in how they cast their ballots.

In the series Abortion on the Ballot, The 19th News Network — a collective of national, regional and local publishers — is reporting on the expected and unexpected ways that abortion is shaping the election. Ten newsrooms from across the country, a mix of national and regional, are tackling how abortion will appear on the ballot in 2024. The work shows the breadth and nuance of the issue, which expands far past ballot measures and who will win the White House.

Florida’s abortion ban has an exception for fatal fetal anomalies. So why was this woman forced to go to Virginia?

In November, Florida voters will have a chance to codify abortion rights. It could be the only way that people with medically complex pregnancies could access the procedure in the state. Read the full story .

IVF is popular in pro-family Utah. Why aren’t candidates talking about it?

After the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, some states are now beginning to develop policies to regulate IVF. This article was co-published with The Salt Lake Tribune . Read the full story .

In Arizona, a generation fears inconsistencies on abortion access and climate action

The issues are intersecting and have moved front and center for Gen Z Arizonans in this election cycle. This article was co-published with The Arizona Republic . Read the full story .

State supreme court races could determine abortion access in several states

This fall, the races for state supreme court are no longer down-ballot contests — their outcomes could determine the future of abortion access. This article was co-published with Ms . It originally appeared in the fall 2024 issue of Ms. magazine. Read the full story .