The day before Election Day, New York State does not see the same direct threats to abortion rights as Republican-led states.
However, abortion rights remain a central issue for Tompkins County voters due to the highly competitive contest between Rep. Marc Molinaro (R-NY) and Democrat Josh Riley over New York’s 19th Congressional District. Riley has heavily criticized Molinaro’s anti-abortion voting history, which contrasts Molinaro’s recent pro-abortion campaign promises.
New York voters will also decide on Proposal 1 this election, which would define “sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, pregnancy, pregnancy outcomes and reproductive healthcare and autonomy” as protected clauses in the New York State Constitution if passed.
With these items in mind, campus groups have held events through the fall semester to foster dialogue on abortion and canvassed to educate voters on the impacts of the election on reproductive healthcare.
Planned Parenthood Generation Action at Cornell
Planned Parenthood Generation Action at Cornell advocates for Ithaca and Cornell voters to support reproductive rights. Recently, the group canvassed across Ithaca, informing voters about candidates and their positions on abortion and about what is specifically on the ballot.
“Face-to-face interaction with these potential voters is the most effective way to remind people of their right to vote, and inform them on important issues that will affect them on the ballot this upcoming election,” said Pat Li ’26, the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Chair of Cornell’s PPGA chapter.
PPGA’s canvassing efforts have also aimed to inform voters about Project 2025 — a policy wish list for the next Republican president written by The Heritage Foundation, a prominent right-wing think tank. Project 2025, which Trump has repeatedly disavowed despite having key advisors involved in its production, rejects the idea of abortion as health care.
“To the numerous voters in swing states who want to protect abortion and their reproductive rights, it is in their best interests to vote against parties that perpetuate the harmful policies delineated in Project 2025,” Li said.
While abortion rights remain a polarizing topic of political debate nationally, the campus community is, supportive of PPGA’s initiatives for the most part, according to Li.
“At least at Cornell, I feel like most people are pro-choice,” Li said. “When we table sometimes and we have condoms everywhere and Plan B, people will go up and take them, and they’re not ashamed of it, which I think is great.”
Cornell Republicans
Meanwhile, Cornell Republicans have been advocating for conservative perspectives on abortion in the run-up to Election Day.
“We really feel as though there’s not a ton of dialogue. We want differing opinions. We want people who can be fervently pro-life,” said Cornell Republicans Executive Vice President Max Whalen ’26.
Cornell Republicans hosted anti-abortion activist Abby Johnson on campus on Sept. 30. The event was sponsored by Young America’s Foundation — an organization focused on promoting conservative views to the younger generations. Johnson shared about her experiences as a former employee of Planned Parenthood before engaging in a Q&A session.
“We like to cover a lot of different events from all over the spectrum of the center-right movement,” Whalen said. “We always try to look for speakers that can meet different criteria. We want to make sure everyone is represented, make sure everyone has a speaker they can come to if that’s what their interest is, for instance. Abby Johnson was a perfect fit for that.”
There has not been an anti-abortion speaker on campus in recent years to Whalen’s knowledge.
Whalen said that Cornell Republicans would be open to dialogue with Cornell’s PPGA chapter.
Whalen did not respond to a follow-up request for comment about the organization’s canvassing efforts at the time of publication.
Cornell Democrats
Leaders of Cornell Democrats agree about the importance of open discussion surrounding abortion rights ahead of Election Day. Service Chair Ella Hogan ’28 said that at the organization’s first meeting of the semester, about 35 students participated in a discussion about abortion.
“It was a deeply emotional and impactful dialogue and conversation because this is not an issue that is far removed from us,” Hogan said. “It’s an issue people feel so passionately about — as they should.”
Similar to PPGA’s efforts, Cornell Democrats have also helped with campaign work for Riley and State Sen. Lea Webb (D-NY). They have canvassed in the local Ithaca community and hosted phone banking events.
Vote 4 Equality
An independent expenditure campaign of the Feminist Majority, Vote 4 Equality aims to mobilize students in congressional or presidential swing states to change their registration from their home address to their college campus address.
In a written statement to the Sun, Campus Coordinator Hannah Irvine ’25 explained that Cornell’s Vote 4 Equality club has been tabling on Ho Plaza and encouraging students to register to vote.
“Our campaign is committed to emphasizing the importance of feminist issues in this election, specifically abortion access, and it is crucial that students vote with this in mind,” Irvine wrote.
Sophia Koman ’27 is a Sun contributor and can be reached at [email protected].
Maya Schmaling ’28 is a Sun contributor and can be reached at [email protected].