These Women Voters Say Abortion Determined Their Vote

BBC pictures show the faces of four female voters

The 2024 presidential election is the first since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, which protected the nation’s right to abortion.

The gender gap is stark in this election, with polls showing Kamala Harris has an advantage among women and former President Donald Trump enjoying a similar lead among men.

The BBC has been talking to female voters about how they are considering gender and abortion issues as they cast their votes in the final days of the campaign.

Michelle works as a quality engineer in Arizona. The 38-year-old voter is a registered Republican but plans to vote for Kamala Harris.

I care about women’s rights and women’s health care. I’m not an issue voter, but this is a big issue. I work in the medical field and the overturn of Roe v. Wade affected me personally because I was unable to obtain many of the medications I needed. No one is sure what the legality is…although they are used for other purposes.

The entire position of the Republican Party is to reduce the size of government and not let the government make my personal decisions, so why are they trying to legislate what women can do with their bodies?

[A Harris presidency] It means everything my parents told me when I was a kid is true – just because you’re a girl doesn’t mean you’re restricted.

The licensed nurse practitioner from Texas voted for Trump in the last presidential election and plans to support him again.

[Trump] Definitely said some things that he probably shouldn’t have said. I have to shake my head at this, especially as a woman, but I haven’t heard anything that would make me change my mind about voting.

I don’t invest in personality. I’m voting on policy. I don’t have to marry that man. I don’t have to deal with him. I had to deal with his policies.

About abortion, [Harris] There is no pregnancy parameter given that shows the latest time someone can have an abortion. This can’t be open ended. I am a neonatal intensive care unit [neonatal intensive care unit] Working as a nurse for 17 years…I care about women’s rights. I care about women. The mother was the first patient. However, this upset me because she wouldn’t have an answer for it.

The Illinois Democrat plans to vote for Harris on Election Day. She previously supported the Democratic 2020 campaign and voted for Joe Biden.

I’m definitely concerned about the direction reproductive rights are going in parts of the country. I think Trump is trying to express that he understands why [reproductive rights] This important issue is woefully underserved for women.

I think Harris has an innate understanding of its importance, as a woman, a woman of color. Do I want her to expand on her plans to expand reproductive rights? Absolutely. But Trump has set the bar so low that she could even continue not to mention it and still do better.

[A Harris presidency] Just thinking about it brings tears to my eyes. I have a nine-year-old daughter who is old enough to be ambitious and start paying attention to the world around her.

The library assistant voted for Trump in 2020 but is undecided and is considering “writing in” for a candidate — voting for someone who has not officially entered the race.

This isn’t my first rodeo, but I’ve gotten to the point where I can ignore the advertising they do for two specific groups.

Happily, Harris is serious about running for president as a woman, and she has some experience as a former vice president. But when Trump was in office, I wasn’t too disappointed in what he did.

I don’t mind having a female president, but some of Harris’s political theories are inconsistent with what I believe to be true.

Angela is a graduate student at Iowa State. A Democrat, she supported Biden in the last presidential election and plans to vote for Harris.

I really wanted this to be a moment of celebration because we elected a woman of color to our highest office, but unfortunately it’s disappointing that Trump’s election was so close [Harris’s] The campaign touches on some issues that are important to me and it’s hard to celebrate as much as I would like.

Obviously, abortion is a big issue that needs to be addressed, but I should say that I’m not necessarily happy with either candidate’s approach to solving it.

I know Harris has a policy that she wants to codify Roe v. Wade, but I think women’s rights and issues go beyond abortion. Trump is so weak on women’s rights that it’s hard to pin down where he stands.

This retired Republican plans to vote for Trump. She also supported the former president in 2020.

I think [Trump] That’s really the only possibility because I think Harris is just incompetent and incompetent. I think if she just listens to her mumbling and evading, it will spell disaster for this country. I just have a horrible feeling about her.

In fact, I am pro-life, which makes sense. Not a late term miscarriage. I don’t agree with this. But I think Trump really downgraded [legislation] As for the states themselves, he was wise.

Harris has nothing to run with, so that’s one of her big selling points to women. In other words, she doesn’t have much substance, so she just harps on abortion.

The independent voted for Biden in the 2020 presidential election and supported Harris via mail-in vote this year.

As a woman, women’s reproductive rights mean a lot to me, especially living in Florida where a ballot amendment would guarantee protection of abortion rights.

I really want to support a party that supports women’s reproductive rights, not just women, but everyone’s reproductive rights, because how can you say it won’t spread to other places? It usually starts in women, but it can continue.

Our government is at least 50 years behind the times on many things – especially other countries around the world that are better represented. I have a niece who I love deeply. facts she can see [a female president]just having this become a normal thing for her would be huge.

The independent from Georgia describes herself as a left-leaning moderate. She is not endorsing Harris or Trump this year because of her faith and anti-abortion views.

I was going to vote for Harris, but then she started doubling down on the reproductive health effects of abortion…I’m Catholic. I am pro-life.

The problem I have is I don’t know how a Catholic can vote for someone who spits out stuff like what we’ve seen [from Trump] Most recently at Madison Square Garden. I take the prohibitions on welcoming strangers and food, clothing, shelter, and transportation very seriously.

So in this case, I don’t have anyone to vote for me.

The retired Texas resident voted for Biden in the last presidential election and voted early for Harris.

I’m scared. We actually can’t go back. This is very scary to me. It’s not right that I have more rights than my granddaughter’s future.

It was unnerving to be so close. [Trump] is a felon out on bail. I don’t understand the Communist Party. they used to be law and order [party]it is said, now it is this.

I think a lot [of women] Come out and say, “Why are you telling us what to do with our bodies?” Abortion is a personal matter, up to the doctor and the woman. It’s none of my business.