This piece first appeared in our weekly newsletter, The Fallout.

A Fulton County judge ruled on Monday that Georgia cannot enforce its six-week abortion ban, finding the Georgia constitution prevents the state from interfering with abortion decisions before viability. The decision is a tremendous win for abortion patients, providers, and access across the region. It returns—for now—the legality of abortion care in Georgia back to around 22 weeks in pregnancy.

The decision is the latest since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade from a state court to ground the right to bodily autonomy in state constitutional protections just this month alone. And it comes on the heels of ProPublica reporting about at least two Georgia women dying as a result of denials of medical care thanks to that unconstitutional six-week ban.

It’s hard to conjure up better proof that abortion bans are deadly politics.

It’s also a stark reminder of just how much is at stake in this upcoming election. Whether it’s the top of the presidential ticket or ballot initiatives across the country, abortion access is the electoral issue of 2024.

Here at Rewire News Group, we’ve been tracking abortion on the ballot this year and are pleased to join Reckon to help navigate the first national election since Roe’s reversal. Whether it’s enforcing the Comstock Act, Project 2025’s plans for a “Department of Life,” or Democrats’ promise to “Restore Roe,” it’s abundantly clear that this election’s results start a new chapter for abortion politics in this country.

And while it’s tempting to write this new chapter off as just more of the same-old politics, it’s not. The stakes now are so much higher—and Georgia proved that to be true this week.