Triangle musicians highlight abortion rights ahead of midterms

Acclaimed Raleigh singer-songwriter Tift Merritt is bringing together a host of other prominent local musicians to sound the alarm bells on the upcoming midterm elections.

What's happening: Merritt is organizing a concert at the Cat's Cradle on Sunday in support of abortion rights. She's enlisted performers such as Alice Gerrard, H.C. McEntire, Rissi Palmer and several others to join her.

• Merritt said she believes abortion access in the state is in jeopardy if Gov. Roy Cooper loses his veto power next Tuesday.

Why it matters: It's another sign that abortion is playing a large role in North Carolina's midterms. The state has become an outlier in the South, after neighborhing states immediately restricted access to abortions after Roe v. Wade was overturned in June.

• Still, several polls indicate that the economy is the top issue for voters overall going into Tuesday, with abortion falling well behind.

What they're saying: "All the musicians want their fans to know exactly what is at stake, which is major rollbacks in abortion rights and access in North Carolina," Merritt told Axios.

• "North Carolina is one of the few states in the Southeast to still have abortion access in a post-Roe landscape, so (our election) is going to have consequences throughout the South and nationally."