Two years ago, the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, dismantling a nearly 50-year-old precedent that protected abortion rights and stripping millions of women of their access to essential reproductive health care. In that same year, I faced the most aggressive Republican challenge any Democratic candidate for governor had seen in decades. My opponent, hand-picked by Donald Trump, backed anti-abortion legislation in Congress and Albany and openly promised to appoint an anti-choice health commissioner if elected. Since that Supreme Court decision, 24 states have enacted restrictive abortion bans denying millions of women access to fundamental health care. Right-wing politicians are working tirelessly to undermine reproductive freedom. They are on a crusade against women and their right to make decisions about their bodies, families, and futures. Tragically, this assault is costing women their lives. Two women in Georgia recently died after an abortion ban left them without access to life-saving care. In Texas, the rate of maternal deaths has skyrocketed since the state instituted a severe abortion ban. In 2024, women across the United States are traveling hundreds of miles in search of the care they need and deserve, facing life-threatening health complications, forced to carry unwanted or non-viable pregnancies, and being denied their basic right to choose due to the decisions of out-of-touch, male politicians. These draconian laws are inflicting real suffering on women and mothers across the country, undermining health and safety at every turn. The consequences of these laws are dire and the threat facing all women, even in states like ours, is real. Today, state governments control the fundamental right to safe and accessible abortion care. The fight for abortion rights is happening in statehouses across America — from Ohio to Michigan to Kansas. And when given the opportunity, voters have overwhelmingly supported protecting abortions rights, underscoring how pivotal the issue of reproductive health is in every election. As the first woman to be New York’s governor, this fight is personal to me, and I have not stood on the sidelines. From the moment I took office, I committed to making New York a safe harbor for anyone in need of care. In the wake of the Supreme Court’s decision, I made historic investments to bolster our reproductive health care system, welcomed patients from states where their rights are under siege, and signed legislation to protect both patients and providers. We have expanded access to reproductive health care on our SUNY and CUNY campuses and ensured over-the-counter birth control is available in New York pharmacies. So long as I am governor, abortion access will be protected in New York. But our rights should not depend on who holds this office or which party is in power. With Roe overturned and Trump and the GOP championing a cruel national abortion ban, there is too much at stake in this election for New Yorkers to take their rights and freedoms for granted. This November, we all have the power to make sure abortion rights are not subject to the political whims of the day. By voting yes on Prop 1, we can enshrine abortion rights in our state Constitution, protecting them from the ultra-conservative state legislators, members of Congress, justices and presidential hopefuls who want to dismantle these freedoms forever. Voting Yes on Prop 1 is a vote to protect access to reproductive health care — from abortion to IVF to birth control. It’s a vote to ensure women, not politicians like myself, have the power to make decisions about their own bodies. When women are empowered to make decisions about their own bodies, we all benefit. The battle for reproductive rights and access to abortion is not just about policy and politics, it’s about giving millions of women the dignity, autonomy, and freedom they deserve. It’s about ensuring future generations inherit the rights that my generation took for granted. Voting Yes on Prop 1 secures the rights that so many before us fought for and sends a clear message that in New York we will always stand for the rights of women and for reproductive freedom. When I was 15, Roe became the law of the land and safeguarded the right to abortion for nearly 50 years. Now, I have a daughter and a granddaughter who deserve to have those same rights. I have worked tirelessly to guarantee abortion access in our state, and now, I’m asking New Yorkers to do their part. Vote Yes on Prop 1 to ensure these rights are protected for generations to come. Hochul is governor of New York.