Statement to high school and college students on the Supreme Court’s draft opinion that would overturn Roe v. Wade

Dear Student Voters and Future Voters,

We’ve heard from thousands of you since news broke of the draft Supreme Court opinion that, if issued, will overturn Roe v. Wade and end federal constitutional protection for abortion rights. 

Overwhelmingly, we’ve heard that you care deeply about access to abortion and that you are angry. 

Words we keep hearing are “ridiculous,” “disgusting,” “scary,” and “backsliding”. 

Themes we keep hearing relate to the importance of bodily integrity and basic human dignity. We are hearing outrage that the draft opinion fails to appreciate the devastating impact of carrying an unwanted pregnancy to term, gives little care to medical judgment, and treats women as objects of regulation as to something so deeply personal. 

So, if you are feeling these things, you are not alone. 

Here is what we want you to know:

• Your physical and emotional health matter. If you need medical care or advice, please speak to someone you trust.

• Democracy is a conversation. Whatever the Court’s final majority decision may say, it will not end debate or possibilities for different political actors to protect abortion rights.

• On the federal level, Congress can legislate and the President can by executive action protect abortion access in a variety of ways and circumstances.

• States can enact laws to protect abortion access and recognize a right to abortion in their state constitutions.

• Elected officials need to hear from you. Use this tool to find your state and federal representatives. The elected officials who will have the most power over the future of abortion rights at the federal level are the President, U.S. Senators and members of Congress. At the state level, they include your Governor and state legislators (who may be referred to as Assembly Members, Senators, Representatives, or Delegates).

• If you have never phoned a public official, now is your chance. You can let them know your name, where you live, that they represent you, and your views about the importance of protecting abortion rights. Elected officials can be especially influenced by young people. When you are done, go on to the next call. If you are nervous, consider practicing with a friend first or just take the plunge. The second one will be easier than the first. 

We’ve also heard from young people that the political process won’t help to set things straight. When people tell you that you should not bother voting because voting doesn’t matter, please ask them to stop and think about who benefits if you believe this? The answer: Not you. It’s people who want you to become cynical and defeatist so that you will do nothing. 

But the truth is that you and your generation have enormous power. Four million of you turn 18 every year. Many elections are decided by small numbers of votes. When you commit to giving everyone in your community a voice, you’ll be surprised how effective you can be. 

Here’s where voting and voter registration come in. Most of you are not registered to vote. The numbers are shocking: Among 18-year-olds living in Milwaukee and Madison, Cleveland and Columbus, Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, and Phoenix and Tucson, fewer than 20% are registered to vote. California and many other states allow young people to preregister at the age of 16, meaning they are automatically registered when they turn 18. But even in California, fewer than 15% of 16- and 17-year-olds have taken advantage of the law. In many other states, the preregistration numbers are far lower. 

Here’s why it’s important to turn things around. The President nominates Supreme Court Justices, and the Senate confirms them. If you want the Supreme Court to align with your values, you need to have a President and Senators in office who are prepared to nominate and confirm Justices who share them as each vacancy arises. 

Congress and state legislatures can protect abortion rights and encourage health care institutions to provide it. Every member of the House of Representatives, one-third of the U.S. Senate, and thousands of state legislative seats will be up for election in November. Young people are not set up today to have an equal voice in these elections today because so few are registered. 

Elected officials care whether you are registered (or preregistered) because they need your vote to win office the next time they run. That could be this November or two or four years from now. They will listen more attentively when they know that you understand their role in the political process, and you expect them to represent you and your values. You have a story to tell, and if you are not yet old enough to vote today, you will be soon. You will be voting in every election and getting your friends to do the same. At the same time, when young people are not registered, they are invisible to elected officials, candidates, and campaigns that use voter files for outreach. 

I don’t want to underestimate the amount of effort this will take. The gaps we need to fill are enormous. But if you have read this far, I hope you’ll make a personal commitment to help fill them. Your friends will care much more if you encourage them to register and vote than if I do it. Your relationships are far more important in influencing elections than a text bank or an email campaign. It is fundamentally your political power.

Your voice matters. Your vote matters. Regardless of what a draft or final decision of the Supreme Court may say, you, your friends, your family, your community, and your values all matter. If you are ready to get started, we have a challenge ready to go.