Category: Politics

Realizing Youth Power: Engaging Youth Beyond Elections

Ever since I could remember, the prevailing narrative about young people and elections has been that they don’t care and don’t vote. As a result, politicians have expressed no obligation to young people and their priorities. Yet, in August, as I watched the Democratic National Convention, I saw something different: Broadcasters and commentators referred to “the youth vote” as a meaningful voting bloc. For the first time, our political discourse was acknowledging the critical role young people have played in the last several elections.

Issues like climate change, reproductive justice, student debt, education and gun violence are life-and-death issues, with clear implications for young people’s daily experiences. Drawing from the work of foster care system and disability justice activists, young leaders rally for “Nothing about us without us.”

Rather than take the youth vote for granted, older adults must collaborate with and trust young people to make sure their priorities are addressed in policymaking.

College Students Already Faced Barriers to Voting—And States Are Adding More

With just weeks until Election Day, young people and college students face potential challenges at the ballot box—both last-minute and as part of laws enacted after 2020 through state legislatures. Republicans are primarily leading these efforts, which come at a time when they’ve increasingly expressed skepticism in America’s elections despite little proof of widespread voter fraud.

These moves could have the most impact in the battleground states that will determine the outcome of a historic presidential election.

Hurricanes and Voter Purges Leave Voters High and Dry

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In less than a month, Hurricane Helene and Hurricane Milton have caused record storm surge and damage in multiple southeastern states, including Florida, North Carolina, Georgia and Tennessee. With Election Day just weeks away (and early voting starting much sooner), will the storms force voters away from the polls in the South?

Meanwhile, the hurricanes aren’t the only challenge facing would-be voters. Right now, voters in states from Texas to Ohio are facing the additional threat of racist voter purges. In the wake of Donald Trump’s baseless comments about migrants in Springfield, Ohio, third-party groups are attempting to challenge voter registration lists with unfounded claims that non-citizen immigrants are voting illegally.

State Supreme Court Races Will Determine Abortion Access in Several States

Since the Supreme Court’s Dobbs decision gave states the authority to decide whether women can access legal abortions, state supreme courts are emerging as vital arenas in the battle over bodily autonomy. This November, 82 supreme court seats are up for an election or retention vote, across 33 states. This number includes judges who voted to uphold abortion bans in Florida and Arizona. 

(This article originally appears in the Fall 2024 issue of Ms. Join the Ms. community today and you’ll get issues delivered straight to your mailbox!)

Abortions, Astrologers and Alleged Deep-State Assassinations: An Excerpt From ‘Reproductive Rites’

What do Ronald Reagan, Sandra Day O’Connor, Antonin Scalia, and the occult have in common? In this excerpt from her forthcoming book, Reproductive Rites: The Real-Life Witches and Witch Hunts in the Centuries-Long Fight for Abortion, author Sophia Saint Thomas explores the unconventional and contradictory beliefs of prominent anti-choice politicians from the Reagan administration.

Evangelical Power, Spiritual Warfare and the Christian Right: The Ms. Q&A With Talia Lavin, Author of ‘Wild Faith’

Journalist Talia Lavin’s second book, Wild Faith: How the Christian Right is Taking Over America, reports that a huge swath of the U.S. body politic—at least 10 million people—subscribe to the Evangelical notion that spiritual warfare is necessary to create God’s kingdom on earth.

A deep distrust of secular authority, she writes, coupled with rigid ideas about gender, sexuality, and power has led many Evangelicals into conservative political activism.

Lavin spoke to Ms. reporter Eleanor J. Bader several weeks before the book’s October 15 release.

Ask Ms.: Parsing the Polls with Kathy Spillar and Anna Greenberg

As the election comes more into focus, you’re probably wondering what the polls say about Kamala Harris’ chances of becoming president. And how much can these polls even be trusted? Do the pollsters believe women will remember Dobbs in the voting booth? Or will the economy and immigration trump reproductive rights?

For these urgent questions and more, Ms. is here to help. Executive editor Kathy Spillar and polling expert Anna Greenberg will go live on Instagram on Oct. 17 at 12:30 p.m. ET / 9:30 a.m. PT. Submit your questions to socialmedia@msmagazine.com or send them to @ms_magazine on Instagram—then tune in for the answers!

Weekend Reading on Women’s Representation: Advice to Our Younger Selves on International Day of the Girl; Restlessness Until Freedom

Weekend Reading for Women’s Representation is a compilation of stories about women’s representation. 

This week: The RepresentWomen staff shares advice with their younger selves, reflections on the meaning of girlhood, and their visions for a more gender-balanced world; today’s girls are tomorrow’s women leaders; honoring Fannie Lou Hamer’s legacy as a civil rights pioneer; and more.

Harness the Power of Your Vote: A Young Voter’s Guide for 2024

As the Nov. 5 election approaches, young voters have a unique opportunity to shape their future. This election is a chance to amplify our voices on the issues that matter most to us. For many, this will be our first presidential election, and while the excitement is palpable, the process can feel overwhelming. Between registering to vote, researching candidates, and determining how to cast our ballot, it’s easy to feel lost. As we navigate these steps, this guide is here to empower you in making your voice heard.