By admin 
This week there was an abortion on the ballot in 10 statesBut even in places where that wasn’t the case, Democrats hoped that the fight for reproductive rights could give them an edge. The hope was to encourage nonpartisan voters not only to vote in favor of abortion access, but also to vote for Democrats. But once Donald Trump won the presidential spot againalso with Republicans taking the majority in the Senateit became clear that while abortion access was prioritized in some red states, such as Missouri and Montana, this did not deliver a blue victory.
Still, abortion advocates aren’t necessarily calling Tuesday night a complete loss for reproductive rights in America. For example, Amendment 3 has passed in Missouri, which will enshrine the right to abortion in the state constitution, overturning the state’s current abortion ban. Missouri has one of them most restrictive abortion bans in the country where abortion is largely completely prohibited, but only permitted”in case of a medical emergency.”
“Missouri has been labeled a ‘red’ state, but tonight’s results clearly show that abortion is not a partisan issue – it is a personal health care issue that Missourians of all political backgrounds agree should be addressed left to women, their families and their doctors,” Kelly Hall, executive director of the Fairness Project, which supported the Yes on 3 campaign in Missouri, said in a media statement.
Rachel Sweet, campaign director for Missourians for Constitutional Freedom, the organization behind the Yes on 3 campaign, said Democrats, Republicans and independents “strongly stated that they do not want politicians involved in their personal medical decisions.”
“Floridians support abortion rights, but Governor DeSantis’ anti-democratic campaign against Amendment 4 has prevented the voices of his own constituents from being heard and enforced minority rule.”
At the same time, Missouri voters generally chose Trump — who has bragged about overturning Roe v. Wade — instead of Kamala Harris as president. While the vote on abortion, Amendment 4, failed to pass in Florida, a similar story unfolded. If passed, Amendment 4 would have amended Florida’s state constitution to prohibit government interference with the right to pre-viability abortion. Florida’s post-Dobbs abortion law makes it a crime to perform or actively participate in an abortion six weeks into pregnancy. Technically, the ban is exceptions for rape, incest and human trafficking up to 15 weeksand to save a woman’s life or prevent “substantial and irreversible” disability. Fifty-eight percent of Florida voters wanted the measure to pass, but that required a 60 percent majority — the highest threshold of any abortion amendment on the ballot. It is striking that Trump won 56 percent of the votes in Florida.
“Floridians support abortion rights, but Governor DeSantis’ anti-democratic campaign against Amendment 4 has prevented the voices of his own voters from being heard and enforced minority rule,” Hall said. “Faced with the state government’s relentless interference in the voting process, an extraordinary number of Florida voters rose up against a cruel and dangerous abortion ban – and we are incredibly proud to have supported the advocates on the ground who made that possible made. ”
Lauren Brenzel, campaign manager for Yes on 4 Florida, said the news confirmed what advocates observed on the ground during the campaign.
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“Florida’s deadly abortion ban is contrary to our state’s values,” Brenzel said. “Florida voters sent that message loud and clear today, and despite the fact that only a minority of voters voted to uphold the abortion ban, our extremist government will exploit the situation to deny its own voters the right to to decide our bodily autonomy.”
Other abortion measures failed to pass, including South Dakota’s Constitutional Amendment G. Although it was seen as a more restrictive proposal than others — because it would have only established rights in the state constitution for abortion in the first trimester of pregnancy — the measure did pass. not receive a majority of votes. In Nebraska, Initiative 434 adopted, banning abortion after twelve weeks of pregnancy, with limited exceptions. The dueling initiative, which would have expanded access to abortion, did not pass.
In Arizona, voters approved Proposition 139 amending the state constitution to guarantee a fundamental right to abortion. The measure is seen as a victory and allows abortion after the viability of the fetus in cases where the life, physical or mental health of the pregnant woman is protected. It would also prevent the state from punishing someone who helps someone else exercise their right to an abortion. Earlier this year the The Arizona Supreme Court upheld an 1864 law which banned almost all abortions in the state. After lengthy back and forth between the courts, abortion remains possible in the state up to fifteen weeks of pregnancy.
Maryland, Montana, Colorado and Nevada all voted to enshrine the right to abortion in their respective state constitutions. New York also passed a measure that will protect “against unequal treatment on the basis of reproductive health care and autonomy.”
“Abortion access is not just a winning issue with voters; it is a fundamental right that impacts every aspect of their lives,” Mini Timmaraju, president and CEO of Reproductive Freedom for All, said in a statement. “This is a huge victory that reaffirms that voters across the political spectrum in red, blue and purple states will mobilize to protect their freedoms.”
Karla Gonzales Garcia, director of Gender, Sexuality and Identity at Amnesty International USA, called Arizona’s successful proposal a “victory for human rights” in a media statement.
“Since the fall of Roe v. Wade, many states in the US are facing a human rights crisis when it comes to access to abortion, it has created stigma, fear and lack of vital health care for far too many people,” said Gonzales Garcia. “But with this vote, the people of Arizona fought back and protected their human right to abortion.”
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