En addition to voting, Tuesday, November 5, to elect their president, the members of the National Congress and the governors of several states, the Americans were called for some of them to decide by referendum on societal subjects: abortion and cannabis.
Ten states in total proposed that their citizens take various measures to protect the right to abortion: Maryland, Missouri, Arizona, Colorado, New York, Montana, Nevada, Florida, Nebraska and South Dakota.
The referendum proposal in Florida, the third most populous state in the country, aimed to include in the local Constitution the right to abortion up to the threshold of fetal viability, i.e. around 24 weeks of pregnancy – and beyond when the The mother’s health is in danger. Currently, abortion is prohibited beyond six weeks in most cases.
While more than 95% of the ballots were counted, the vote received 57.1% of votes in favor. Less than the 60% needed for the proposal to be adopted. The ban on abortion beyond six weeks of pregnancy will therefore continue in the state in the southeast of the United States.
Major law change in Missouri
In South Dakota, which was considering a similar constitutional amendment, the “no” vote won by 59.7%. In Nebraska, on the other hand, residents voted 55.3% to ban abortion beyond the first trimester of pregnancy, a rate sufficient for the measure to pass.
On the other hand, the right to abortion was strengthened in Arizona, Maryland, Missouri, Nevada and Montana. In Arizona, voters voted in favor of reinstating the possibility of abortion until the fetus is viable, compared to the 15 weeks currently provided for.
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In Missouri, the change will be even more marked: the state had one of the strictest abortion bans in the country, with no exceptions provided for in cases of rape or incest. Voters in this state approved an amendment to its Constitution to authorize voluntary terminations of pregnancies until the fetus is viable.
Medical cannabis authorized in Nebraska
Five states proposed that their citizens take various measures to legalize or regulate marijuana or other hallucinogenic substances. These were Nebraska, North and South Dakota, Florida and Massachusetts. It is only in Nebraska – which only questioned its residents on the use of these substances in a therapeutic context – that the proposed measures were adopted. Specifically, the possession and use for medical purposes of a maximum of five ounces (in total, approximately 140 grams) of cannabis per patient will be permitted.
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