Fixing Our Democracy Will Ensure Women Make Their Own Decisions About Their Bodies and Health
Laura Simmons is a Georgia resident and currently serves as Southeast Regional Director for NARAL Pro-Choice America.
Next month, over 300,000 Georgians may lose their voter registration status as a result of not voting in recent elections. The Georgia Secretary of State’s office announced that notifications will be sent to “inactive” voters in November, who will then have 30 days to respond before their names are purged from the voter rolls.
While state officials have tried to argue that this is an administrative move designed to ensure accurate and up-to-date voter lists, Georgians know the true motivation behind the purge: to deny voters their right to free and fair elections. We’ve learned over the past year — as we’ve watched Governor Brian Kemp repeatedly undo our rights and eliminate policies that help people in our state thrive — that elections matter. But there has been a systematic breakdown of democracy in Georgia that is standing in the way of having a truly representative government that is truly reflective of the people.
One issue where the will of the voters has been ignored is around reproductive freedom. Seventy-seven percent of voters believe decisions about abortion should be made by a woman, not politicians, according to an NPR/PBS NewsHour/Marist Poll from earlier this year. But despite this widespread support, politicians in Georgia continue to ignore the will of the people and chip away access to women’s healthcare.
All women should be able to make their own decisions about their families and futures. But politicians in Georgia — led by Governor Kemp, and aided by the disenfranchisement of thousands of Georgia voters — continue to undermine access to abortion and interfere in personal decision-making. The connection between reproductive freedom and protecting our right to vote is clear: without free and fair elections, we can’t elect leaders who share our values and can be counted on to safeguard our fundamental freedoms. In states like Georgia, the suppression of tens of thousands of votes — via voter roll purges, the unlawful “Exact Match” requirement, and rampant election day misconduct — has directly contributed to the election of officials like Governor Kemp who are determined to strip away our reproductive freedom.
This year, Georgia became one of just a few states to seek to effectively ban abortion before many women are even aware that they are pregnant. If the law is enacted, it would be devastating for the women of Georgia — denying them access to the care they need and forcing them to either cross state lines for care or seek other means of getting it. Furthermore, restrictions like these extreme bans and other medically unnecessary regulations on abortion impact communities of color and low-income individuals at a disproportionate rate. Thankfully, a federal judge temporarily blocked the law, ensuring that women across Georgia can continue to access the care that they need — for now. But anti-choice politicians are preparing to fight the next round and we know they won’t stop until they’ve cut off abortion access in the state entirely, no matter the consequences to women and families.
As the Democratic presidential candidates convene in Atlanta tonight to debate the issues that voters care about, reproductive freedom and the issue of abortion access should take center stage. However, it’s urgent that we also demand a conversation about the policies that have allowed anti-choice politicians like Governor Kemp and his cronies to ignore the will of the people in the first place.
Fortunately, there are groups working to eliminate the systemic barriers standing in the way of ensuring our democracy is truly representative of the people and reflective of our values. Led by Stacey Abrams, Fair Fight Action is working to combat voter suppression and enact large scale reforms to Georgia’s election management.
At the federal level, the U.S. House of Representatives recently passed HR 1, the For the People Act. The bill takes a comprehensive approach to fixing our democracy by expanding voting rights, limiting partisan gerrymandering, strengthening ethics rules, and limiting the influence of private donor money in politics. If enacted, the For the People Act would impose important requirements on Georgia election officials that would make it easier for people to vote. This bill would protect voters from being purged from voter rolls, would force Georgia election officials to create an automatic voter registration system to accurately register those eligible to vote, and allow same-day registration on Election Day.
Reproductive freedom will remain out of reach for too many if we don’t have the ability to elect leaders who respect our values. To preserve our ability to make our own decisions about our lives, bodies, and futures, we must have a democracy that encourages voter participation and puts the power in the hands of the people.
