CHARLOTTE, N.C. — For voters across North Carolina, casting a ballot is a chance to stand up for their top issues. They hope that their vote helps elect the candidate that they believe will do the job in a certain way.

For many Democratic voters in North Carolina, access to abortion is one of the top issues in the 2024 elections. That includes Calla Hales, executive director of A Preferred Women’s Health Center.

What You Need To Know

  •  Voters will elect a new governor in 2024

  •  One issue dividing Republican and Democratic candidates is their stance on abortion access

  •  A Charlotte voter says making sure abortion isn't restricted further is her top priority as a voter

  •  The governor has the ability to veto legislation that comes from the legislature

She has a family history in that space.

“My parents actually started the clinics back when I was a little kid. We started in Raleigh, North Carolina, back in 1998,” Hales said.

Since that time, they’ve expanded to have multiple clinics across two states.

The last year, however, has been difficult.

Hales says they’re “trying to just evolve as the laws have changed, whether it be on a federal level or state level, and not just in our state, but all of our surrounding states.”

The State Legislature passed a law in 2023 that changed the timelines for legal abortions in North Carolina from 20 weeks to 12 weeks, with some exceptions. It also added new requirements for doctors and providers.

Gov. Roy Cooper vetoed the legislation, but the Republican supermajority overrode the veto.

It sparked protests across the state and became one of the top issues in the gubernatorial race.

Hales says she’s looking for a governor to not allow any further restrictions on abortions, and also wants a governor to ensure that patients are getting accurate information.

“North Carolina has a history of using state budget funds to support crisis pregnancy centers who are known for not providing accurate health care information,” Hales said.

In the Democratic primary for the gubernatorial race, Attorney General Josh Stein and former North Carolina Supreme Court Justice Michael Morgan both say they are against the changes made in 2023.

Morgan said: “I disagree with, and oppose, the current law in North Carolina regarding the intensified restrictions on abortion. Government has no place in intruding upon a health decision which is reached by a woman in consultation with her medical provider. HIPPA laws prohibit the divulgence of such medical determinations, and the General Assembly has wrongfully implemented an 'end-around' to evade the confidentiality afforded by HIPPA. It is an important issue for me to take on as Governor, especially in light of my legal experience, and I favor a return to standards established by ROE v. WADE regarding the availability of an abortion.”

Stein said: “Women’s reproductive freedoms are on the line in North Carolina this November. Mark Robinson seeks a total ban on abortion with no exceptions – not for rape, incest, or the life or health of the mother. As Governor, I will fight back against these restrictions, just as I have stood firm in protecting women’s reproductive health care as Attorney General. It’s simple: this most personal decision should be made by women, not by a bunch of politicians.”

Hales said she wishes the upcoming November election didn’t feel so heavy, but that she believes there is a lot on the line.

"It's a little nerve racking going into the fall knowing that something that seems as simple as a basic human right to health care and the right to govern your own body is something that's been kind of distilled down to a choice on a ballot,” Hales said.