Ahead of Tuesday’s election, thousands of women rallied in the capital and elsewhere on Saturday in support of abortion rights and other feminist causes.
Demonstrators ran through the streets holding posters and signs and chanting slogans such as “We’re not going back!” Some men also joined them. Speakers urged people to vote not only in the presidential election, but also on down-ballot issues such as the abortion rights amendment, which is on the ballot for voters in various states.
At the Women’s March on Washington, feminist activist Fannie Gomez-Lugo led the crowd in chanting, “Abortion is free!” after reading a list of states with abortion voting measures.
In Kansas City, Missouri, rally organizers called on people to sign to knock on doors to vote for abortion rights.
A KFF survey of female voters found that ever since Kamala Harris replaced Joe Biden as the Democratic candidate against Donald Trump, women under 30 have been more likely to vote for abortion in the presidential election. Rights overtook inflation to become the most important issue.
Ballot efforts have surged in the wake of a 2022 U.S. Supreme Court ruling that ended abortion rights nationwide and shifted the issue to the states.
Nine states will consider amending their constitutions to enshrine the right to abortion: Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Maryland, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, and South Dakota. Most governments guarantee the right to abortion until the fetus is viable, and then allow abortions if necessary for the health of the pregnant person.
New York’s proposed amendment does not specifically mention abortion, but does prohibit discrimination based on “pregnancy outcome” and “reproductive health and autonomy.”
Some participants in Saturday’s rally advocated for LGBTQ+ rights, higher wages, paid sick leave and stronger efforts to tackle gun violence.
