Reproductive Health Access Project Statement on the 2022 Midterm Elections

Thursday, November 10, 2022

As the votes from Tuesday’s Midterm elections continue to be counted and results roll in, one outcome is abundantly clear: abortion is the will of the people. In every single state where abortion measures were on the ballot, voters chose reproductive freedom. We are heartened and inspired by these results, especially in light of the Supreme Court overturning Roe v. Wade in June, and we know that our communities will continue to show up for abortion access in the years ahead.

Here’s a quick recap:

• California passed Prop 1, which will explicitly enshrine the right to an abortion and contraception in the state constitution;
• Michigan voted yes on Prop 3, which overturns the state’s pre Roe ban and affirms that every person has the fundamental right to reproductive freedom;
• Vermont became the first state to protect the right to reproductive choice and liberty in its state constitution by voting yes on Prop 5;
• Kentucky voters said no to Constitutional Amendment 2, a proposed ban on abortion in the state constitution. Kentucky is one of 12 states where abortion is currently banned;
• This morning, Montana voters rejected LR-131, measure that pushed forward a false anti-abortion narrative and would have forced imposed criminal penalties on clinicians who did not make every attempt to save the life of an infant “born alive,” including during an abortion. This law would have limited compassionate palliative care for infants who are born but would not survive. 

While it is important that we celebrate these victories, we must keep fighting. Despite what is clearly overwhelming national support for reproductive freedom, anti-abortion politicians continue to push forward restrictions on care, including attacks on contraception and insurance coverage of abortion, gestational limits, criminalization of abortion providers and others who help people access care, and more. As an organization that works with clinicians who provide sexual and reproductive health care, we have seen firsthand the devastating effects of political interference on clinicians, their patients, and the communities that they serve, both before and after Roe.

Make no mistake: we are here because of the leadership of reproductive justice organizers who have been mobilizing for decades on the ground, and because young people and voters of color overwhelmingly voted for abortion access at the polls. Currently, about one in three people who can get pregnant live in a state where abortion is banned, hitting BIPOC communities, young people, queer communities, immigrants, and those working to make ends meet the hardest. But yesterday, people – especially young voters and voters of color – showed up and sent the message that anti-abortion legislators will be held accountable for their attempts to control our bodies and our futures. 

RHAP supports, trains, and mobilizes primary care clinicians across the country to ensure equitable access to sexual and reproductive health care, including abortion. We will continue working in partnership with our community, allies, and supporters to fight for a future where everyone is able to access the care they need easily, affordably, with dignity, and without judgment.