Sign up for The Brief, our daily newsletter that keeps readers up to speed on the most essential Texas news.

This midterm election marks a huge moment in abortion policy for Texas.

Just a few months ago, the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, the landmark case that established a constitutional right to abortion nearly 50 years ago. States are now allowed to set their own laws regulating abortion access. And soon after, Texas’ “trigger law” went into effect, essentially banning all abortions except those needed to save the life of a pregnant person. Abortion clinics are now closed in the state.

The opinions of Texas voters by and large do not align with the state’s abortion regulations. In a recent poll by the Texas Politics Project, over 80% of respondents said abortion should be permitted in cases of rape and incest. Under current law, it’s not.

In response to the friction between abortion laws and voters’ opinions, Texas Tribune women’s health reporter Eleanor Klibanoff explains what the 2022 election means for the future of abortion access. She answers three questions: One, is abortion on the ballot? Two, what comes next in abortion policy? And three, how do the offices on the ballot influence abortion access?

Texans need the truth. Help us report it.

Become a member. Join today.

Choose an amount or learn more about membership.

Jillian Taylor was a 2022 fall multimedia fellow. She is a senior at Southern Methodist University in Dallas studying journalism and creative computation with a focus in film. She is a staff videographer...

Eleanor Klibanoff is the law and politics reporter, based in Austin, where she covers the the Texas Legislature, the Office of the Attorney General, state and federal courts and politics writ large. She...