Abortion rights secure major wins across 7 states in U.S. election. Hereā€™s where – National

by Pelican Press
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Abortion rights secure major wins across 7 states in U.S. election. Hereā€™s where ā€“ National

Voters in Missouri cleared the way to undo one of the nationā€™s most restrictive abortion bans in one of seven victories for abortion rights advocates, while Florida, Nebraska and South Dakota defeated similar constitutional amendments, leaving bans in place.

AbortionĀ rightsĀ amendments also passed in Arizona, Colorado, Maryland and Montana. Nevada voters also approved an amendment, but theyā€™ll need to pass it again it 2026 for it to take effect. Another that bans discrimination on the basis of ā€œpregnancy outcomesā€ prevailed in New York.

The results include firsts for theĀ abortionĀ landscape, which underwent a seismic shift in 2022 when the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, a ruling that ended a nationwide right toĀ abortionĀ and cleared the way for bans to take effect in most Republican-controlled states.

They also came in the same election that Republican Donald Trump won the presidency. Among hisĀ inconsistent positions onĀ abortionĀ has been an insistence that itā€™s an issue best left to the states. Still, the president can have a major impact onĀ abortionĀ policy through executive action.

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In the meantime,Ā Missouri is positionedĀ to be the first state where a vote will undo a ban onĀ abortionĀ at all stages of pregnancy, with an amendment that would allow lawmakers to restrict abortions only past the point of a fetusā€™ viability ā€” usually considered after 21 weeks, although thereā€™s no exact defined time frame.

But the ban, and other restrictive laws, are not automatically repealed. Advocates now have to ask courts to overturn laws to square with the new amendment.

ā€œToday, Missourians made history and sent a clear message: decisions around pregnancy, includingĀ abortion, birth control, and miscarriage care are personal and private and should be left up to patients and their families, not politicians,ā€ Rachel Sweet, campaign manager of Missourians for Constitutional Freedom, said in a statement.

Roughly half of Missouriā€™s voters saidĀ abortionĀ should be legal in all or most cases, according to AP VoteCast, a survey of more than 2,200 of the stateā€™s voters. But only about 1 in 10 saidĀ abortionĀ should be illegal in all cases; nearly 4 in 10 saidĀ abortionĀ should be illegal in most cases.

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Bans remain in place in three states after votes

Florida, Nebraska and South Dakota became the first states since Roe was overturned where abortion opponents prevailed on a ballot measure. Most voters supported the Florida measure, but it fell short of the required 60 per cent to pass constitutional amendments in the state. Most states require a simple majority.

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The result was a political win for Gov. RonĀ DeSantis, a Republican with a national profile, who had steeredĀ state GOP fundsĀ to the cause. His administration has weighed in, too, with a campaign against the measure,Ā investigators questioningĀ people who signed petitions to add it to the ballot andĀ threats to TV stationsĀ that aired one commercial supporting it.

Marjorie Dannenfelser, president of the national anti-abortionĀ group SBA Pro-Life America, said in a statement that the result is ā€œa momentous victory for life in Florida and for our entire country,ā€ praising DeSantis for leading the charge against the measure.

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The defeat makes permanent a shift in theĀ SouthernĀ abortionĀ landscapeĀ that began when the stateā€™s six-week ban took effect in May. That removed Florida as a destination forĀ abortionĀ for many women from nearby states with deeper bans and also led to far more women from the state traveling to obtainĀ abortion. The nearest states with looser restrictions are North Carolina and Virginia ā€” hundreds of miles away.

ā€œThe reality is because of Floridaā€™s constitution a minority of Florida voters have decided Amendment 4 will not be adopted,ā€ said Lauren Brenzel, campaign director for the Yes on 4 Campaign said while wiping away tears. ā€œThe reality is a majority of Floridians just voted to end Floridaā€™sĀ abortionĀ ban.ā€

In South Dakota, another state with a ban onĀ abortionĀ throughout pregnancy with some exceptions, the defeat of anĀ abortionĀ measure was more decisive. It would have allowed some regulations related to the health of the woman after 12 weeks. Because of that wrinkle, most nationalĀ abortion-rightsĀ groups did not support it.

Voters in Nebraska adopted a measure that allows moreĀ abortionĀ restrictions and enshrines the stateā€™s current 12-week ban and rejected a competing measure that would have ensuredĀ abortionĀ rights.

Other states guaranteed abortion rights

Arizonaā€™s amendment will mean replacing the current law that bansĀ abortionĀ after the first 15 weeks of pregnancy. The new measure ensuresĀ abortionĀ access until viability. A ballot measure there gained momentum after a state Supreme Court ruling in April found that the state could enforce a strictĀ abortionĀ ban adopted in 1864. Some GOP lawmakers joined with DemocratsĀ to repeal the lawĀ before it could be enforced.

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In Maryland, theĀ abortionĀ rightsĀ amendment is a legal change that wonā€™t make an immediate difference toĀ abortionĀ access in a state that already allows it.

Itā€™s a similar situation in Missouri, whereĀ abortionĀ is already legal until viability.

The Colorado measure exceeded the 55% of support required to pass. Besides enshrining access, it also undoes an earlier amendment that barred using state and local government funding forĀ abortion, opening the possibility of state Medicaid and government employee insurance plans covering care.

A New York equalĀ rightsĀ law thatĀ abortionĀ rightsĀ group say will bolsterĀ abortionĀ rightsĀ also passed. ItĀ doesnā€™t contain the word ā€œabortionā€Ā but rather bans discrimination on the basis of ā€œpregnancy outcomes, and reproductive healthcare and autonomy.ā€ Sasha Ahuja, campaign director of New Yorkers for EqualĀ Rights, called the result ā€œa monumental victory for all New Yorkersā€ and a vote against opponents who she says used misleading parentalĀ rightsĀ and anti-trans messages to thwart the measure.

The results end a win streak for abortion-rights advocates

Until Tuesday,Ā abortionĀ rightsĀ advocatesĀ had prevailedĀ on all seven measures that have appeared on statewide ballots since the fall of Roe.

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TheĀ abortionĀ rightsĀ campaigns have a bigĀ fundraising advantageĀ this year. Their opponentsā€™ efforts are focused on portraying the amendments as too extreme rather thanĀ abortionĀ as immoral.

Currently, 13 states are enforcing bans at all stages of pregnancy, with some exceptions. Four more barĀ abortionĀ in most cases after about six weeks of pregnancy ā€” before women often realize theyā€™re pregnant. Despite the bans, theĀ number of monthly abortionsĀ in the U.S. has risen slightly, because of the growing use ofĀ abortionĀ pills and organized efforts to help women travel forĀ abortion. Still, advocates say the bans haveĀ reduced access, especially for lower-income and minority residents of the states with bans.

The issue is resonating with voters. About one-fourth saidĀ abortionĀ policy was the single most important factor for their vote, according to AP VoteCast, a sweeping survey of more than 110,000 voters nationwide. Close to half said it was an important factor, but not the most important. Just over 1 in 10 said it was a minor factor.

The outcomes of ballot initiatives that sought to overturn strictĀ abortionĀ bans in Florida and Missouri were very important to a majority of voters in the states. More than half of Florida voters identified the result of the amendment as very important, while roughly 6 in 10 of Missouriā€™s voters said the same, the survey found.





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