Election Day

As Reproductive Rights Collapse, Funders Are Disappearing. Why?

Grassroots organizations are on the frontlines of defending human rights at this moment. Yet, it’s alarming that major funders are leaving the field right when groups working to defend bodily autonomy and democracy need them most. 

In the 2024 presidential election, we saw the consequences of what happens when donors abandon grassroots organizations—where a billion dollars were raised for the Harris campaign at the expense of movement organizations in key battleground states. In a presidential election lost to low voter turnout, the decision to underfund grassroots groups—those best equipped to knock on doors and mobilize voters—proved dangerously short-sighted.

(This essay is part of a collection presented by Ms. and the Groundswell Fund.)

The President’s Executive Order on Elections, Explained

President Donald Trump issued an executive order on March 25 that aims to illegally overhaul and take control of major parts of the nation’s election systems. He claimed extraordinary unilateral authority to regulate federal elections and usurp the powers of Congress, the states and an independent bipartisan federal agency. This violates the Constitution and various federal laws. If implemented, the order could disenfranchise millions of American citizens, compromise the security of sensitive personal data, and disrupt election administration across the country.

What would the executive order on elections do? Is the executive order legal? Is this executive order the same as the SAVE Act?

War on Women Report: Infant Mortality on Rise Post-Roe; Want a President Who Isn’t Accused of Rape? ‘Request Denied,’ Tweets Andrew Tate

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U.S. patriarchal authoritarianism is on the rise, and democracy is on the decline. But day after day, we stay vigilant in our goals to dismantle patriarchy at every turn. The fight is far from over. We refuse to go back, and we refuse to let the incoming Trump administration quietly dismantle the progress we’ve made. We are watching. This is the War on Women Report.

Since our last report…
—Since the Dobbs decision, U.S. infant mortality rates were higher than usual, with hundreds more infants dying than expected. Abortion bans can hurt access to broader healthcare for both babies and mothers, including reducing a state’s number of maternal healthcare providers as bans lead to OB-GYN exoduses.
—Seven women, including three in Texas, have died after receiving inadequate miscarriage and abortion care.
—Trump’s win, after being accused of sexual assault by 27 women, sends a disheartening message to victims of sexual assault and advocates.

… and more.

Worn Down, Splintered and Underrepresented: The Fight for Women’s Progress Is Far From Over

Since Election Day, I’ve cycled through a whirlwind of emotions and tried to make sense of it all. In this time of unprecedented division, when hope felt within reach—the chance to elect the first woman president—history took a familiar turn and, once again, did not break that ultimate glass ceiling. 

But history also teaches us that meaningful change is rarely linear. It’s slow, uneven and complicated—especially when women don’t speak with one voice. Progress requires resilience, grit and an unwavering commitment to push through hard times. Taking action is key. And as hard as it can be, the effort is always worth it, even when it’s hard to see.

‘Critical as We Move Forward’: Reproductive Rights and Voter Advocacy Leaders Reckon With 2024 Election

Dr. Lauren Beene was still processing the election outcome when she spoke with Ms. magazine the morning after Donald Trump had been declared the winner of the 2024 presidential election. Dr. Beene, co-founder and Vice President of Ohio Physicians for Reproductive Rights, had successfully led the fight a year ago to pass an amendment that enshrined the right to abortion in the state’s constitution. Yet Dr. Beene now worried that under Trump, a national abortion ban may be in the not-so-distant future, and Ohio’s win to protect abortion rights could be in jeopardy.

An Open Letter to Election Workers

Women make up 80 percent of the U.S. election workforce, and on this Election Hero Day, Nov. 4, we thank you for the essential role each of you plays in safeguarding our democracy. The right to a fair and accessible election is the foundation of our nation, which would not be possible without your commitment of time and service at election polling stations across the country.

Our Elections Are Not Fragile

Citizens can vote in 2024 with confidence. Despite the noise and lies and melodrama, voting will likely be uneventful for the vast majority of Americans.

But even as we grow more confident about Election Day, it is increasingly clear that partisans plan to disrupt the counting and undermine trust after the votes are cast.

Black Voters Prepare for Backlash Ahead of Election Day

Through her nonprofit Project Say Something, voting rights activist Camille Bennett urged city officials to remove a Confederate monument in front of the local courthouse in Florence. Throughout Trump’s presidency, as support grew across the country to topple and rename Confederate monuments, the former president continued to defend the racist remnants of the past. Organizers like Bennett say they can’t afford another Trump win. “The power belongs to the people,” said Bennett. “If we choose to mobilize and really lift our voices as a nation, we can get a lot done. And that’s the hope that I carry on—no matter what happens, we can’t be afraid.”

“Make no mistake about it, if [Trump] is reelected, this is going to further embolden his supporters to express their racial hostility, their racial grievances, and also continue to further inspire people to engage in hateful tactics,” said Emmitt Riley, president of the National Conference of Black Political Scientists. “Some folks are sick of Trump, but this election is going to really be another test as to whether or not a nation who has lived under four years of chaos is ready to return to that dysfunction and chaos.”