In case you've lost count, since the 2022 Supreme Court decision declaring that the U.S. Constitution does not give women the right to an abortion - or to privacy and bodily autonomy - 14 states have banned abortion. If you live in Texas, Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Indiana, Missouri, Tennessee, Kentucky, West Virginia, North Dakota, South Dakota, or Iowa, you may not be able to receive health care in your first trimester, especially where performing abortions is criminalized. More states are likely to take action, including Utah, where an abortion ban is winding its way through the courts.

Current news stories have shown how dangerous this is for pregnant people. Not all women who terminate a pregnancy do so because they don't want a baby. Sometimes it is a matter of life and death, or serious complications, and even future ability to have a child.

This is not just a women's issue. Ask any man who fathered a child outside of marriage about child support liability, and you will agree it's a men's issue too. And so, if you care about this issue, find out who will be on your ballot this year and what their stance is. Make sure to pick candidates who align with your opinion on this issue. They will be voting on it, and imposing laws on you. Here's your chance to affect the laws under which you and your family and friends and colleagues will live.

Eleven states will hold gubernatorial elections this year, 33 states will have state supreme court elections for 83 seats, state senate seats and whole state houses will be up for grabs. These are state lawmakers who will set the law in your state. Learn where they stand. If this issue matters to you, ask questions of candidates, and let them know where you stand. Choose wisely, and vote!