Heidi L. Sieck, chief empowerment officer and cofounder of #VOTEPROCHOICE and an advisory board member for Vote Run Lead, emphasised that reproductive rights are under attack and every candidate on the ballot can do something about it.
"Access to comprehensive reproductive health care is foundational to freedom," Sieck told POPSUGAR. "A person's ability to choose when or if they have a child, and with whom, is critical to unlocking economic and personal autonomy."
Although Roe v. Wade still guarantees the right to an abortion, state and local officials have passed targeted laws that push access out of reach. Sieck noted that in 2020 alone, anti-choice lawmakers have introduced 236 state-level provisions restricting abortion access. When it comes to abortion access, every elected office at every level matters. "For example, state attorneys general can refuse to defend these bans, and district attorneys can decide not to enforce them," Sieck explained.