Abortion is a hot spot in the upcoming US election, even though US polls show it most people support reproductive freedom. Abortion rights advocates told CTV News that when candidates take a stance on this issue, it could influence the decision at the polling station, especially for women about who they want to vote for.

As CTV National News continues its series “Omar on the Road: America Decides 2024,” our chief anchor, editor and team sat down with Bethany Lewis in Cleveland, Ohio. Lewis is a social worker who began his new role in February as executive director of Preterm, a medical clinic that provides abortion care. Since its opening in 1974, the nonprofit agency has provided Ohio women with subsidized access to abortion.

The day we visited, three men were demonstrating outside with large signs.

Immediately inside the building was a security guard and all visitors entered through a metal detector. Staff inside said the presence of protesters outside on public property is constant but varies in number.

The following is an excerpt from an interview with Lewis that tells the story of abortion access in Senator JD Vance’s home state. It has been edited for length and clarity.

Q: What is it like doing this work in JD Vance’s home state?

Louis: I think what was really amazing about the constitutional amendment is that it showed Ohioans that they are overwhelmingly in favor of abortion, access to reproductive health and of reproductive freedom. And it shows that, regardless of what any politician may say in our community or presumably on our behalf, the power of the people has really manifested itself in the voice of the people, in the will of the people, has manifested itself actually manifested in show this reproductive freedom amendment, to show that this is what Ohioans support. And we are very grateful for this support from them.

EDITOR’S NOTE: In November 2023, Ohio voters supported an amendment to the state constitution to guarantee the right to abortion. Public support led rights groups to challenge laws that limited access.

Bethany Lewis, executive director of Preterm, a medical clinic that provides abortion care, speaks with CTV National News anchor and editor-in-chief Omar Sachedina in Cleveland, Ohio.

Q: In fact, most Americans support reproductive rights to some extent. So why is this such a hot spot in elections?

Louis: That’s a great question. I think most Americans support that. But I think there’s been so much stigma for so long that people have really supported it privately. And it’s only recently that people have come out in droves and started to publicly support him and have avenues to do so. I think it takes a long time for politics to catch up with the will of the people in this matter.

Ohioans have made it clear that they want this constitutional amendment to protect reproductive rights and freedoms. And now the courts are starting to act more quickly, and we’ve just seen a permanent injunction – a permanent blocking of the six-week ban that was planned.

EDITOR’S NOTE: The ban refers to a law that previously made abortion illegal at six weeks’ gestation, which was widely considered extremely early after a woman’s first missed period. It has since been canceled.

Q: We were talking to someone else who said it’s less restrictive to get an abortion now in Ohio than even before Roe v. Wade was overturned. Is this correct?

Louis: I would say it’s a complicated question. Previously, patients had to come in for an ultrasound and then wait 24 hours before they could get their next appointment. But in reality, people’s schedules are more complicated than that. RIGHT? So maybe you only have the opportunity to come on a Tuesday. You would have to wait another full week, until the following Tuesday, to be able to receive child care or to obtain the funding you need to obtain this service. As a result, people waited longer. And if we have to wait longer, will the costs of abortion care increase? Complications increase as gestational age increases. This adds complications. Now, thanks to the ban on the 24-hour injunction, patients can access care several times on the same day as their first consultation appointment.

EDITOR’S NOTE: The 24-hour ban referred to a law that required women to wait an additional 24 hours before they could have an abortion. It was also canceled.

Q: How many people from out of state come to Ohio for abortions? How far do they travel?

Louis: I just looked at our statistics from last month. In September we saw people from Texas, Tennessee, Pennsylvania and neighboring states as well. But we know that we regularly see people from Georgia, Mississippi, Louisiana and any state that has a ban. …Cleveland is a city where flights to New York or Chicago are not as expensive. If you have to stay overnight in a hotel or something, those costs can be much cheaper.

CTV National News anchor and editor-in-chief Omar Sachedina listens to Bethany Lewis, executive director of Preterm, a medical clinic that provides abortion care, in Cleveland, Ohio.

Q: In a nutshell, what makes Ohio unique? I mean, it doesn’t seem like the most restrictive state, but it doesn’t seem like the least restrictive state either.

Louis: Right now, we’re in this position where we’re testing the waters for everyone working on ballot initiatives. We have this legislation that is very hostile to state legislation that is hostile to abortion care and people seeking abortion care. Yet we have this constitutional amendment which goes in this direction. We’re really a testing ground that other states can look at and see how we got our amendment passed, how we respond in the future with the court cases that we pursue…just to be able to give people hope also while they are pending. going through their own challenges within their states.

Q: How big of an issue do you think this is, particularly for young women participating in this election?

Louis: I think this is an important and important question. … Just because we have a constitutional amendment doesn’t mean it depends on how the Ohio Supreme Court interprets that constitutional amendment. And then, on top of that, we know that at the federal level, if we have an administration that doesn’t support abortion rights, then any number of things could happen at the federal level that could pose a risk even to Ohio. … This puts everyone, regardless of state and regardless of their protections, regardless of what their state constitution says, at risk of having reproductive rights and freedoms in the future.