Planned Parenthood Pennsylvania Advocates, Comms2 Launch Campaign to Mobilize Key Voters for the 2021 Election
For Immediate Release: Oct. 21, 2021
After Texas and with 2022 looming, voters need to know the stakes for abortion rights in every election in PA going forward
PENNSYLVANIA - Planned Parenthood Pennsylvania Advocates (PPPA) and Commonwealth Communications (Comms2) today launched a campaign to mobilize infrequent progressive voters to make their voice heard in the 2021 election to protect abortion rights and reject judges supported by groups seeking Texas-style abortion bans. The six-figure campaign will include digital advertising and direct mail to voters that support abortion rights but do not consistently vote in non-presidential elections.
You can see the first of two ads, ‘Absolute Worst’ and ‘The Stakes’, now airing on digital and streaming platforms statewide.
The campaign seeks to educate voters about the importance of electing judges that support abortion rights and the increased risk, after the Supreme Court effectively gutted Roe v. Wade, in electing Republicans who would pass, sign or uphold dangerous abortion bans. Republicans and anti-abortion organizations have made clear that they want to make abortion illegal in Pennsylvania and punish patients and doctors over routine reproductive health care.
The ads in the campaign feature Kelsey, a Planned Parenthood patient and health care advocate from Allegheny County, telling voters her personal story and urging them not to sit on the sidelines in 2021. In 2016, Kelsey had an abortion at 21 weeks after a routine ultrasound revealed fetal deformities that her doctor deemed not compatible with life.
Just weeks later, Kelsey went to the Capitol in Harrisburg to stand in solidarity with Governor Wolf and legislators and speak out against a 20-week abortion ban that would have robbed her family of the freedom to make that personal and difficult decision.
The campaign is rooted in the strong reality that voters need concrete, personal reasons to come out and vote, especially in non-presidential elections. Comms2 research shows that when voters are informed about the stakes of the 2021 election for abortion rights and stopping future abortion bans, they are both more likely to turn out and vote for candidates on their side.
Going into the 2021 judicial elections and the consequential 2022 gubernatorial election, PPPA and Comms2 will continue to focus on informing these voters about the stakes of every election when anti-abortion Republicans are on the ballot and seeking the power to put abortion bans in place in Pennsylvania.
Signe Espinoza, MPH, Executive Director of Planned Parenthood Pennsylvania Advocates:
“Anti-abortion judges getting lifetime appointments to our highest courts is a long-term threat to the rights of all people in Pennsylvania to access the health care they need. Extremists seeking Texas-style abortion bans are currently backing judges on the ballot this year. Why? Because with Roe v. Wade under attack by Trump’s Supreme Court, state courts could decide whether dangerous abortion bans like those moving through our legislature become law in Pennsylvania’s future.”
J.J. Abbott, Executive Director of Commonwealth Communications:
“We’re proud to stand with Planned Parenthood Pennsylvania Advocates because the stakes of the 2021 and 2022 elections could not be higher for Pennsylvanians. Pennsylvania has a clear majority of voters that does not support additional abortion restrictions. They want governors, lawmakers and judges to stay out of their health care decisions. In order to protect these rights, we need to make sure these voters know the stakes of these elections.”
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ABOUT PLANNED PARENTHOOD PENNSYLVANIA ADVOCATES
Planned Parenthood Pennsylvania Advocates (PPPA) exists to create a Pennsylvania where sexual and reproductive healthcare, including abortion, is accessible, affordable, and affirming for all. We achieve this, in partnership with the 3 Planned Parenthood affiliates in Pennsylvania, through electoral and advocacy campaigns, lobbying, and organizing.