‘A lot of women are rising up’: Harris hopes it will depend on women’s votes

Women attending Harris’ rally in the battleground state of Arizona told the BBC that the stakes are particularly high this year. The state has a question on the ballot that would allow voters to decide whether abortion rights should be enshrined in the state constitution. Abortion is currently illegal after the 15th week of pregnancy, with limited exceptions.

Mary Jelkovsky hopes the abortion vote here in Arizona can help usher in a blue tide.

Wearing a light blue sweatshirt with the words “Vote with your weight” written on it, the 26-year-old told the BBC that she and her husband had started trying to get pregnant.

She says it was hard for her to wrap her head around the idea that this could be forced on someone now that Roe v. Wade has been overturned.

Ms. Jelkovsky says the Supreme Court’s decision sparked important conversations with her friends and family. She says she learned that many loved ones had had abortions, including once to save their lives.

“It’s personal, but having these conversations is extremely important,” he says. “For us (women), this election couldn’t be more important.”

Harris’ campaign hopes the abortion issue will not only inspire Democrats to the polls, but also convince Republican women to switch sides. These “silent” Harris voters, as political analysts like to call them, could help boost her numbers in particularly close races.

Rebecca Gau, 53, of Arizona was a lifelong Republican until Trump ran for president. When she cast her vote for Joe Biden in 2020, she stated that it was a protest vote. But this time, she says she’s excited to vote for Harris.

“I felt like she could represent me as a practical American,” she told the BBC in early October.

She said she is tired of “toxic masculinity” and believes other Republican women like her feel the same.

“I don’t care what your political beliefs are – women are fed up,” she said.

But not all Republican women are convinced of this. Tracey Sorrel, a Texan member of the BBC’s voting panel, said she thought Harris would go too far on abortion rights. Ultimately, even though she did not like some of what he said, Ms. Sorrel stated that she would vote for Trump.

“I don’t vote for personality. I vote for politics. I don’t have to marry this man,” she said.

With additional reporting by Robin Levinson King and Rachel Looker