BBC reports that the 2024 presidential election is the first following the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v Wade, a ruling that protected the national right to abortion. The gender gap is evident in this election, with polls indicating that Kamala Harris has an edge among women while former President Donald Trump leads among men. The BBC has interviewed female voters to understand how they are factoring in gender and abortion as they prepare to vote in the final days of the campaign.
One voter, Michelle, a quality engineer from Arizona and registered Republican, intends to vote for Kamala Harris. She emphasizes her concern for women’s rights and healthcare, particularly impacted by the repeal of Roe v Wade. She questions why the Republican stance on smaller government conflicts with their attempts to legislate women’s bodies.
Another voter, a nurse practitioner from Texas who previously supported Trump, plans to vote for him again. Despite acknowledging his controversial statements, she prioritizes policy over personality and appreciates Trump’s stance on abortion compared to Harris’s perceived lack of clarity on the issue.
A Democrat from Illinois who supported Biden in 2020 will be voting for Harris, citing concerns about reproductive rights and Trump’s inadequate understanding of women’s issues. She hopes Harris, as a woman of color, will prioritize expanding reproductive rights.
In contrast, a library assistant who previously voted for Trump is now undecided and considering writing in a candidate. She appreciates Harris’s candidacy but questions the alignment of her political beliefs with Harris’s policies.
Another voter, Angela, a graduate student from Iowa who supported Biden in the last election, plans to vote for Harris despite disappointment with some of her campaign’s aspects. She highlights the importance of addressing abortion but expresses dissatisfaction with both candidates’ approaches to the issue.
Lastly, a retired Republican who plans to vote for Trump believes Harris is incompetent and would be a disaster for the country. She supports Trump for his approach of leaving abortion legislation to the states and criticizes Harris for focusing excessively on the issue without providing substantial policy proposals. An independent voter who backed Biden in 2020 and voted by mail this year also supports Harris, emphasizing the importance of her candidacy for women. BBC
Reproductive rights for women are huge for me as a woman, especially living in the state of Florida where there is an amendment on the ballot that will guarantee protection for abortion rights.
I really want to support a party that’s going to support reproductive rights for women and not just women, but for everybody, because what’s to say it’s not going to spread elsewhere? It starts with women, usually, but it goes on and on.
Our government is at least 50 years behind the times for a lot of things – especially other countries throughout the world having better representation. I have a niece that I love dearly. The fact that she could see [a female president], and just for that to be a normal thing for her, will be huge.
This independent voter from Georgia describes herself as a left-leaning moderate. Because of her faith and anti-abortion views, she’s not supporting Harris or Trump this year.
I was actually going to vote for Harris, but then she started doubling down on how abortion is reproductive health… I’m a Catholic. I am pro-life.
The problem that I ran into is that I don’t know how any Catholic can vote for somebody who spews the stuff like what we saw [from Trump] at Madison Square Garden recently. I take the injunction to welcome the stranger and to feed and clothe very seriously.
So under those circumstances, I’ve got nobody I can vote for.
This retired Texas resident voted for Biden in the last presidential election and has voted early in support of Harris.
I get so scared. We actually can’t go back. It’s very frightening to me. I had more rights than my granddaughter is going to have in her future and that’s not right.
It is so disturbing that it is so close. [Trump] is a felon out on bail. I don’t understand the Republicans. They used to be the law and order [party], supposedly, and it’s now this.
I think a lot [of women] are coming out and saying, ‘Why are you telling us what to do with our bodies?’ Abortion is a personal thing and it’s up to the doctor and the woman. It is none of my business.
In the lead-up to election day, BBC Voter Voices is hearing from Americans around the country about what matters to them.
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