Since Roe fell, voters, not just lawmakers keep deciding where and how pregnancy care is available. Tomorrow’s off-year elections are no exception: abortion is effectively “on the ballot” in three states, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Virginia, through a governor’s race, high-stakes judicial retention votes, and the next step toward a constitutional amendment. The Guardian
New Jersey: A safe-haven state with a governor’s race that could flip the script
New Jersey currently allows abortion without a gestational limit and has positioned itself as a regional sanctuary for care. But the governor elected tomorrow will set the tone on funding, clinic support, and whether to pursue a constitutional lock-in, or roll back protections. Democrat Mikie Sherrill backs current law and says she’d seek a constitutional safeguard; Republican Jack Ciattarelli supports restricting abortion after 20 weeks, parental notification for minors, and defunding Planned Parenthood. A late-October Rutgers-Eagleton poll shows Sherrill with a narrow five-point edge among likely voters, well within the margin of error, underscoring how turnout will decide policy direction. New Jersey Monitor
What to watch: any closing-argument pivot back to abortion in a cost-of-living-dominated race, and whether suburban women and younger voters, who’ve driven post-Dobbs wins, show up in an off-year election. New Jersey Monitor
“In a ‘haven’ state, a single governor can still decide whether clinics are funded, or shuttered by attrition.”
Pennsylvania: Judicial retention that could shape access for years
Pennsylvania voters will decide whether to retain three Democratic justices on the state supreme court. It’s a sleeper contest with outsized consequences: state high courts often have the last word on abortion restrictions now. Spending on these retention fights has surged, and the court has already signaled where things may be headed, last year it deemed the Medicaid abortion funding ban sex-based discrimination under the state Equal Rights Amendment, clearing the way for expanded coverage. If even one justice is ousted, control of the court could narrow, inviting more aggressive challenges to access. Spotlight PA
What to watch: outside spending and messaging that explicitly ties the court to abortion rights, and whether voters who don’t typically track judicial races connect the dots. Spotlight PA
“Courts are where bans harden, or are blocked. Retention races are abortion policy, by another name.”
Virginia: The last Southern holdout weighs its future
Virginia is the only Southern state without a post-Roe abortion ban; care is available up to 26 weeks and 6 days. Tomorrow’s governor’s race pits Democrat Abigail Spanberger, who supports current law and a reproductive-freedom constitutional amendment, against Republican Winsome Earle-Sears, a long-time opponent of abortion rights. Polling in the final week has shown Spanberger with a mid-single-digit lead, but margins in down-ballot races remain tight, and Democrats must hold the House of Delegates to keep the amendment on track to reach voters in 2026. plannedparenthood
What to watch: whether abortion outranks economic concerns with swing voters, and if pro-amendment turnout matches 2023 levels that blocked new restrictions. AP News
“Amendments are how rights get weather-proofed, if voters can keep the path open.”
Why this matters beyond state lines
These contests will ripple across the map. New Jersey and Virginia serve patients traveling from ban states; any rollback strains regional access. Pennsylvania’s court can shape insurance coverage and the legal standards that govern future restrictions. And advocates on both sides are testing messages for 2026, when more amendments and gubernatorial seats are likely to hinge on reproductive autonomy. The Guardian
The bottom line
Abortion access is not abstract policy. It is whether real people can get timely, compassionate care without traveling hundreds of miles, taking unpaid time off, or risking criminalization. Tomorrow’s votes in NJ, PA, and VA will decide more than headlines. They will shape what care looks like for families across the region, including those traveling from ban states. If you believe decisions about pregnancy belong with patients and their clinicians, this is the moment to show up.
What you can do today and tomorrow:
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Vote if you live in NJ, PA, or VA. Confirm your polling place and ID rules before you go.
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Help someone vote: offer a ride, childcare, or a reminder text.
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Boost accurate info: share this explainer and your state’s official resources.
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Support access: donate to clinic funds and practical support groups that cover travel, lodging, and aftercare.
Rights are only as durable as our participation. Let’s make sure the people most affected by these decisions are heard, and that their care is protected now and in the years ahead.
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