Ten US states voted to enshrine the right to abortion in the constitution. While Florida opposed it, Missouri, New York and Maryland passed measures in favor of women’s rights
Von
Carter Sherman, Noa Yachot und Andrew Witherspoon
The Guardian
06.11.2024
There was a hard fight for the right to abortion – what are the votes now?
On Tuesday, Americans in ten US states decided whether they wanted to enshrine the right to abortion in their constitutions. In a stunning victory, Missouri voted to amend its constitution to protect the right to abortion. This makes the state the first to repeal the abortion ban since the Supreme Court’s landmark Roe v Wade decision in 1973. Colorado, New York and Maryland have also passed measures to amend their constitutions to protect the right to abortion. In Florida, however, an attempt to withdraw the six-week ban failed.
But the results of the votes are not final. States that vote to repeal abortion bans will face litigation or lengthy legislative processes before the bans can be lifted.
It could still take days until all votes are fully counted. Here are the first results where they are known.
Arizona
NOT COUNTED: Abortion rights advocates in Arizona, a key campaign issue in the US presidential election, are fighting over the Passing a lawwhich grants the right to abortion until the fetus is viable, that is, up to 24 weeks of pregnancy. Currently, abortion is banned in the state after 15 weeks.
Colorado
YES: Colorado voters approved a measure to amend the Constitution that prohibits the state government from denying, obstructing or discriminating against the “right to abortion.” The amendment also repeals a provision in the state constitution that prohibits public funding of abortion. The right to abortion in this state is currently not limited by a pregnancy limit.
Florida
NO: Florida voters rejected a measure that would repeal the six-week abortion ban and add the right to terminate a pregnancy until the fetus is viable to the state constitution. The initiative needed 60 percent of the vote to be approved – the highest hurdle of all votes.
Maryland
YES: Maryland voters approved a measure to amend the state constitution to “affirm the right of individuals to reproductive freedom, including, but not limited to, the ability to make decisions to prevent, continue, or terminate a pregnancy.” to meet”. There is currently no time limit on the right to abortion in the state.
Missouri
YES: Voters voted to repeal the state’s current, near-total ban on abortion and enshrine in the constitution the “fundamental right to reproductive freedom,” including the provision of abortion options until the fetus is viable.
Montana
NOT COUNTED: Abortion is currently legal in Montana. If passed, the law would amend the state constitution to provide “the right to make and carry out decisions regarding one’s pregnancy, including the right to abortion” until the fetus is viable or after viability to protect life or death health of the patient is explicitly stated.
Nebraska
NOT COUNTED: Nebraska is the only state with two competing measures on the ballot. If both measures pass, the measure that receives the most votes would take effect.
The first measure would enshrine the right to abortion until viability in the state constitution. The second would enshrine the current 12-week ban in the constitution.
Nevada
NOT COUNTED: The Nevada measure would amend the state constitution to protect the right to abortion until viability or after viability in cases where the health or life of the patient is threatened.
New York
YES: New Yorkers have approved a measure that would expand the state’s anti-discrimination laws to include, among other things, protections against discrimination based on “sex, including sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, pregnancy, pregnancy outcomes, and the Reproductive Health” is added. Abortion is not specifically mentioned, but advocates assume the pregnancy-related language includes protections for abortion. The right to abortion is protected in New York until the fetus is viable.
South Dakota
NOT COUNTED: The proposed measure in South Dakota is less far-reaching than other abortion rights measures because it would only protect the right to abortion in the first trimester of pregnancy. Although this measure will appear on the ballot, there will be a process regarding the validity of the signatures collected for it. Depending on the outcome of the case, the measure – and all votes cast in favor of it – could be declared invalid.
