Here's what to watch for women voters this November

DES MOINES, Iowa (Gray Media Iowa State Capitol Bureau) – National polls show a majority of women support Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic presidential nominee. The majority of men support former President Donald Trump, the Republican presidential candidate. But of course that doesn’t mean that all women vote the same way or that all men vote the same way.

Dr. Kelly Winfrey is director of the Women’s and Gender Studies Program at Iowa State University and has written a book about women voters, “Understanding How Women Vote.”

Winfrey believes abortion rights could divide Republican women in 2024. Republican-led states like Iowa have eliminated access to abortion in most cases. Iowa law bans abortions after about six weeks of pregnancy, except in cases of rape, incest or when the pregnancy endangers the mother’s life.

Some women have been pushing for years to ban all or most abortions. This legislation could be exactly what they hoped would protect the unborn. However, polls show that most women believe abortion should be legal in at least some cases.

Winfrey believes that historically, voters who want change are the most motivated. In this case, those could be women who believe Republican politicians have placed too many restrictions on abortion access. They may be more inclined to support candidates who oppose these restrictions.

Gallup measured Americans’ different positions on abortion access in polls released in June.

Here’s what to watch for women voters this November

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