• Home
  • Archive
  • Media Kit
  • Contact Us
  • May 9, 2025

The Madison Times

The Paper That's More Than Black and White

  • News
    • Local News
    • National News
    • International News
    • Sports News
    • Education News
  • Columns
    • Columnists
    • Editorials
    • Letters to the Editor
    • Life Lessons with Alex Gee
  • Events
  • Health
  • Finance
  • Lifestyle
  • Classifieds
  • Community
    • Middle Spread
  • Milwaukee
EXCEPT WHERE INDICATED, THE OPINIONS EXPRESSED ON THIS PAGE ARE NOT NECESSARILY THOSE OF THE MADISON TIMES

Share this:

  • Tweet
  • Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window) Email
  • Click to print (Opens in new window) Print

In Battleground States Abortion and Equal Rights are top Issues for Young Women Voters

November 5, 2022

By Kathy Spillar
Executive Editor, Ms. magazine

Kathy Spillar

Nationwide election surveys of voters continue to be reported as showing the economy is a top issue for all voters without much analysis on key audiences and the intensity of abortion and equal rights.

This year, Ms. magazine took a deep dive into voter attitudes in nine key battleground states: Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Nevada, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin.

A just released Ms. magazine and Feminist Majority Foundation poll by Lake Research Partners takes an in-depth look at battleground states most likely to determine which party holds power in Congress and as Governors. True blue Democratic states of California, New York and Massachusetts along with true red Republican states were excluded.

Among women voters of all ages in these battleground states, abortion and women’s rights are tied with inflation and rising prices as their top voting issues.

This means that despite constant reports in the media on inflation and rising prices as the top issues in this election, abortion and women’s rights are actually the most important for young women as they head to the ballot box. The overturning of Roe v. Wade has lit a fire under women voters, and especially young women voters, who have the power to determine close elections. Historically in the last few elections, a larger percentage of undecided voters were women, a trend likely continue this year. Additionally, the numbers and percentages of young people voting have been steadily rising.

As the races tighten, every vote matters.

Abortion restrictions and outright bans have energized pro-abortion rights women to be motivated to turn out to vote in November in much larger numbers than their anti-abortion counterparts, refuting conventional wisdom that those opposed to abortion are more motivated by the issue. Our survey shows that 35% of pro-abortion rights voters prioritize women’s rights and abortion in their vote decisions compared to 10% of anti-abortion voters.

This passion goes beyond abortion into broader issues of equal rights. The Ms. survey included questions related to the Equal Right Amendment showing that voters – especially women voters – now know that rights can be taken away and want an amendment to the US Constitution guaranteeing that rights cannot be “denied or abridged on account of sex.’” The polling shows that 74% of young women support the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA), with 72% saying it is “personally” important to them now that various states are banning abortion.

Significantly, the ERA and abortion are connected for all women voters, with nearly three-quarters (73%) saying it is important to support the ERA in light of abortion bans; among young women voters, a similar 72% say that it is personally important to them to support the ERA now that states are banning abortion.

Politicians who ignore what women care about do so at their own peril. The message is loud and clear: women care about their rights and will vote to protect them.

Share this:

  • Tweet
  • Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window) Email
  • Click to print (Opens in new window) Print

Popular Interests In This Article: Abortion, Kathy Spillar, Reproductive Rights

Read More - Related Articles

  • Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren Travels to Wisconsin on the Anniversary of the Dobbs Decision
  • Women Impacted by Abortion Bans Traveled to Wisconsin to Hold Donald Trump Accountable for Extreme Abortion Agenda
  • Trump Wants a National Abortion Ban; Joe Biden and Kamala Harris will Protect Choice and Freedom
  • Women’s Health Threatened as Abortion Access Faces Unprecedented Restrictions
  • Vice President Kamala Harris Launches Nationwide “Fight for Reproductive Freedoms” Tour in Waukesha County


Connect With Us

Become Our Fan On Facebook
Find Us On Facebook


Follow Us On Twitter
Follow Us On Twitter

Editorials

Karma Chavez
Amanda Zhang
Julianne Malveaux
Benjamin Chavis
George Curry

Journalists

Jacklin Bolduan
Brianna Rae
Aarushi Agni
Rob Franklin
Claire Miller

Topics

Brown Girl Green $
Young Gifted & Black
Universally Speaking
Ask Progress
Civil Rights

Topics

Police Shooting
Police Brutality
Black Lives Matter
NAACP
Racism

Politicians

Barack Obama
Hillary Clinton
Gwen Moore
Paul Soglin
Scott Walker

Contact Us

Phone:
414-449-4860

Copyright © 2025 Courier Communications. All Rights Reserved.
We use third-party advertising companies to serve ads when you visit our website. These companies may use information (not including your name, address, email address, or telephone number) about your visits to this and other websites in order to provide advertisements about goods and services of interest to you. If you would like more information about this practice and to know your choices about not having this information used by these companies, click here.