Elect the person who will lead their country for the next four years, but not only that. HAS the occasion of the election American presidentialten states have also chosen to put the sensitive subject of abortion on the agenda: Montana, New York State, Arizona, Missouri, Nebraska, Colorado, Florida, Maryland , Nevada and South Dakota.
Among these states, eight of them had banned the voluntary termination of pregnancy shortly after the revocation by the Supreme Court of the United States of the decision “Roe v. Wade”, which since 1973 had guaranteed the constitutional right to abortion. Since this day in June 2022, each State is free to prohibit abortion or to tighten its conditions. Franceinfo takes stock, state by state, of the results of these local referendums.
In Florida
The citizens' initiative referendum organized in Florida had to receive 60% “yes” to be adopted and it only reachedapproximately 57% of the votes. Amendment number 4 aimed at reinstating the possibility of carrying out an abortion until the fetus is viable (around 24 weeks of pregnancy) is therefore rejected.
In this state in the southeast of the country won by Donald Trump, abortion therefore remains illegal after six weeks of pregnancy. In the event of rape, incest or danger to the mother, this period can be extended to fifteen weeks. If a person wishes to have an abortion before the sixth week, Florida requires two in-person visits to a clinic, twenty-four hours apart.
The rejection of this measure is an important victory for Republican Governor Ron DeSantis who has multiplied declarations and communications operations to oppose it. It is also in Florida that the voting threshold to be reached was the highest. “The reality is that a majority of Floridians just voted to end the abortion ban.”declared, in tears, Lauren Brenzel, campaign director of the “Yes on 4” campaign.
In New York State
Not surprisingly, voters in New York State said “yes” to proposition number one which enshrines the right to abortion by adding an anti-discrimination text to the State Constitution. While abortion is already legal in New York, this amendment makes any future restrictions more difficult.
The measure expands the list of groups covered by the equal protection clause of the state Constitution to include “ethnicity, national origin, age, disability, and gender – including sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, pregnancy, pregnancy outcomes, reproductive health care and autonomy”. Until then, the clause only prohibited discrimination based on “race, color, creed or religion”.
In Arizona
Arizona voters said “yes” to the citizen-initiated referendum on abortion. Proposition 139 (or “prop 139”) will therefore create a constitutional right to abortion at the state level. It prohibits the State from refusing or limiting access to abortion before the viability of the fetus, defined as the moment when there is a significant probability of lasting survival of the fetus outside the uterus without extraordinary medical measures, or after fetal viability if deemed necessary to protect the life or physical or mental health of the pregnant person.
In Arizona, abortion is currently legal up to the fifteenth week of pregnancy. After this period, the law provides an exception to save the mother's life, except in cases of rape or incest.
In Maryland
Abortion was already legal in Maryland, but this right will now be protected by the Constitution. The inhabitants of this Atlantic Coast State approved the amendment, which effectively makes it extremely difficult for lawmakers to pass legislation in the future that could limit reproductive care without violating the state Constitution.
“Today marks an important victory for the rights, dignity and autonomy of every person in our state, as well as for the patients and their families who are forced to leave their home communities and travel to Maryland to receive health care there.reacted Morgan Nuzzo, co-founder of Partners of Abortion Care, a clinic in Maryland, on NPR.
In Colorado
Colorado voters also approved enshrining existing abortion laws into the Constitution. The local referendum exceeded the 55% support required to pass. If abortion was already legal there at all stages of pregnancy, the measure allows Medicaid and other government programs to cover medical costs.
In Missouri
After the United States Supreme Court revoked the “Roe v. Wade” ruling in 2022, Missouri was the first state to ban abortion (except in cases of medical emergency). Yet voters in this central state approved a constitutional amendment that protects abortion. The text therefore goes legalize abortion up to 24 weeks of pregnancy.
“It’s a historic event”welcomed the Center for Reproductive Rights in a press release. “By saying YES, voters demanded that the human rights and freedoms they lost after Roe was overturned be restored and expanded.”
In Nevada
In this state, the result of the vote has not yet been announced. Abortion is legal up to the 24th week of pregnancy, but only if the doctor treating the patient believes that the abortion is necessary to protect the life of the mother.
In Nebraska
In this state, the result of the vote has not yet been announced. Abortion is illegal after the twelfth week of pregnancy, except in cases of rape, incest and when the mother's life is threatened.
In Montana
In this state, the result of the vote has not yet been announced. Abortion is legal there until the fetus is viable.
In South Dakota
In this state, the result of the vote has not yet been announced. All abortions are currently banned there, except when necessary to save the mother's life.
