Harris holds a rally for abortion rights in Georgia

Harris, who will be in the Atlanta area on Friday to speak on the issue, heard from the mother and sisters of one of the deceased women on Thursday evening.

During a live-streamed campaign rally hosted by Oprah Winfrey and attended by Harris, Shanette Williams, Amber Thurman's mother, tearfully told viewers that “people around the world need to know that this was preventable.” Williams said she initially did not want to make her daughter's death public in 2022, but ultimately decided it was important for people to understand that her daughter “was not a statistic. She was loved.”

Harris told the family: “I am so sorry. The courage you have all shown is extraordinary.”

The Vice President added: “Unfortunately, this story is not the only one that has happened since these bans came into force.”

Dozens of pregnant patients have faced delayed treatment or been turned away from hospitals over the past two years due to medical emergencies, a violation of federal law since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade. Violations have occurred in both states with and without abortion bans. But an AP analysis earlier this year found that some states with abortion bans, including Texas, saw an immediate spike in cases after the ruling.

Harris was the administration's top spokesperson for abortion rights when President Joe Biden was running for re-election, appearing at rallies across the country. She is the highest-ranking U.S. official to publicly visit an abortion clinic. But since becoming a presidential candidate, she has broadened her focus to include a broader range of issues.

Three states – Virginia, South Dakota and Minnesota – opened early voting in person on Friday. Harris' campaign hopes the issue of reproductive rights will be a strong motivator for Democrats. Republican candidate Donald Trump, on the other hand, continues to claim credit for appointing three of the conservative Supreme Court justices who voted to overturn Roe.

About half of voters say abortion is one of the most important issues when considering how to vote — but registered female voters care more about it than male voters, a new AP-NORC poll finds. About 6 in 10 female voters say abortion policy is one of the most important issues for how they will vote in the upcoming election, compared to about 4 in 10 male voters.

The gender gap does not end here.

About 6 in 10 female voters trust Harris more than Trump on the abortion issue, while about 2 in 10 women trust Trump more. Half of male voters, on the other hand, trust Harris more than Trump on the abortion issue, while about a third trust Trump more than Harris.

Democrats point to a string of election victories where abortion rights were at issue, and her supporters believe Harris is a strong messenger. During the Sept. 10 presidential debate, she gave a forceful answer about how the bans affect even women who never intended to terminate their pregnancies.

Harris has long fought for reproductive health issues, particularly black maternal health. Since taking the ballot, others have traveled the country to speak on reproductive rights, including her husband, Doug Emhoff.

In Georgia, Thurman had to wait more than 20 hours in the hospital for a routine medical procedure known as a curettage to remove remaining tissue after taking abortion pills, even though she developed sepsis. Family members told ProPublica that the other woman who died was afraid to seek help because of the pain she was in after taking abortion pills. She also had a lethal combination of painkillers in her body.

Dr. Nisha Verma, a gynecologist from Georgia, said the six-week ban had created “an atmosphere of massive fear, confusion and uncertainty” in the medical community.

“Medicine is a grey area,” she said, adding that laws are “a blunt instrument.”

She said Republican lawmakers who are now blaming hospitals and doctors are witnessing the consequences of the laws in real time.

“The law prevents us from providing evidence-based care without having to think about the risk of criminal prosecution,” she said.

Harris blames Trump, saying in a statement: “This is exactly what we feared when Roe was overturned.”

During the presidential debate earlier this month, Trump leaned heavily on his general response to questions about abortion rights, saying the issue should be left to the states. He said he would not sign a national ban on abortion. However, he has repeatedly refused to say whether he would oppose such a ban if re-elected.

Harris made a campaign stop in Wisconsin on Friday after her visit to Georgia. Trump had no public events planned for Friday.