Abortion Rights Amendments Set for Vote in Seven States
Exciting news from election officials in Arizona and Missouri as they announce that abortion-rights supporters in their states have successfully gathered enough petition signatures to put proposed amendments enshrining abortion rights into their states’ constitutions. This development brings the total number of states with abortion votes set for November to seven.
Following a ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court in 2022 that removed the nationwide right to abortion, there has been a surge in national efforts to have voters decide on this issue. Since then, most Republican-controlled states have passed various abortion restrictions, while most Democratic-led states have implemented laws or executive orders to protect access to abortion services.
In the seven states where abortion questions have been brought before voters since 2022 — California, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Montana, Ohio, and Vermont — the majority of voters have sided with abortion rights supporters.
What’s on the 2024 Ballots?
MISSOURI
In Missouri, voters will have the opportunity to decide whether to guarantee a right to abortion with a constitutional amendment that would reverse the state’s near-total ban on the procedure. The initiative petition received enough signatures from registered voters to qualify for the general election. If approved by a majority of voters, the amendment will be enshrined in the state constitution.
The Missouri ballot measure aims to create a right to abortion until a fetus could likely survive outside the womb without extraordinary medical measures, typically around 23 or 24 weeks into pregnancy. The measure also allows for abortions after fetal viability if deemed necessary to protect the life or health of the pregnant woman.
ARIZONA
Meanwhile, voters in Arizona will decide in November whether to amend the state constitution to include the right to an abortion up to approximately 24 weeks into pregnancy. The proposed amendment prohibits the state from banning abortion until the fetus is viable, with provisions for later abortions to safeguard a woman’s physical or mental health. Supporters argue that this measure protects abortion access from political interference, while opponents express concerns about potential implications for unchecked and unlimited abortions in Arizona.
Currently, abortion is legal for the first 15 weeks of pregnancy in Arizona.
COLORADO
……(similarly, continue for other states)
Stay tuned for updates as we approach the November elections in these states. Your vote can make a difference in shaping the future of abortion rights in America.
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