Democrats hope the latest court rulings restricting abortion energize voters as election nears

CHICAGO (AP) — Two court rulings this week have delivered major blows to reproductive rights in Texas and Georgia but, during a crucial time in the election cycle, Democrats are seizing on them in an attempt to energize voters who support abortion access.

Advocates hope the rulings will serve as reminders about what’s at stake in a post-Roe America just weeks before a presidential election that has been partly defined by competing visions of abortion rights and the sometimes harrowing consequences for women living in states with abortion bans.

“Every time our opponents say the policies we have in place are fine and not as extreme as you think, this continual drumbeat of headlines illustrates the reality and galvanizes voters,” said Kelly Hall, executive director of the Fairness Project, which is providing money and other support for several ballot measure campaigns hoping to preserve or strengthen abortion rights.

The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday left in place a lower court decision that bans emergency abortions that violate Texas law. The same day, the Georgia Supreme Court halted a ruling that had struck down the state’s near-total abortion ban.