How Abortion Rights Issue Has Motivated Voters Across the US

WASHINGTON: Voters in nine states are deciding wher ir state constitutions should guarantee a right to abortion, weighing ballot measures that are expected to spur turut for a range of crucial races.

Passing certain amendments in Arizona, Florida, Missouri, Nebraska and South Dakota likely would lead to undoing bans or restrictions that currently block varying levels of abortion access to more than 7 million women of childbearing who live in those states.

future legality and availability of abortion hinges t only on ballot measures, as policies could shift depending on who controls Congress and presidency. Same with state governments — including legislatures that pursue new laws, state supreme courts that determine laws’ constitutionality, attorneys general who decide wher to defend m and district attorneys who enforce m.

If all abortion rights measures pass, “it’s a sign of how much of a juggernaut support for reproductive rights has become,” said Mary Ziegler, a professor at University of California Davis School of Law and an expert on history of reproductive rights in U.S.

“If some of m fail,” she added, “n you’re going to see some conservatives looking for guidance to see what magic ingredient was that made it possible for conservatives to stem tide.”

Voters have been supporting abortion rights
Abortion rights advocates have prevailed on all seven measures that have appeared since 2022, when U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade and ended nationwide right to abortion. That decision opened door to bans or restrictions in most GOP-controlled states — and protections of access in most of those controlled by Democrats.

abortion rights campaigns have a big fundraising advant this year. ir opponents’ efforts are focused on portraying amendments as too extreme rar than abortion as immoral.

Currently, 13 states are enforcing bans at all sts of pregnancy, with some exceptions. Four more bar abortion in most cases after about six weeks of pregnancy — before women often realize y’re pregnant. Despite bans, number of monthly abortions in U.S. has risen slightly, because of growing use of abortion pills and organized efforts to help women travel for abortion. Still, advocates say bans have reduced access, especially for lower-income and mirity residents of states with bans.

bans also are part of a key argument in presidential race. Vice President Kamala Harris calls m “Trump abortion bans,” ting former President Donald Trump ’s role in overturning Roe v. Wade. Harris, meanwhile, has portrayed herself as a direct, consistent advocate for reproductive health and rights, including Black maternal health.

Trump has struggled to thread a divide between his own base of anti-abortion supporters and majority of Americans who support abortion rights, leaning on his catch-all response that abortion rights should be left up to individual states.

His shifting stances on reproductive rights include vowing in October to veto a national abortion ban, just weeks after presidential debate when he repeatedly declined to say. Trump also has regularly taken credit for appointing three Supreme Court justices who helped overturn Roe v. Wade.

Trump’s attempt to find a more cautious stance on abortion echoes efforts of many Republican congressional candidates as issue has emerged as a major vulnerability for GOP. In competitive congressional races from coast to coast, Republicans distanced mselves from more aggressive anti-abortion policies coming from ir party and its allies, despite ir records on issue and previous statements opposing abortion rights.

measures could roll back bans in five states
While ballot questions have similar aims, each one occupies its own political circumstances.

re’s an added obstacle to passing protections in reliably Republican Florida: Supporters of amendment must get at least 60% of vote.

Passing it re and rolling back a 6-week ban that took effect in May would be a blow to Gov. Ron DeSantis, a Republican with a national profile, who has steered state GOP funds to cause and whose administration has weighed in, too, with a campaign against measure, investigators questioning people who signed petitions to add it to ballot and threats to TV stations that aired one commercial supporting it.

Nebraska has competing ballot measures. One would allow abortion furr into pregnancy. or would enshrine in constitution state’s current law, which bars most abortions after 12 weeks — but would allow for furr restrictions.

In South Dakota, measure would allow some regulations related to health of woman after 12 weeks. Because of that wrinkle, most national abortion-rights groups are t supporting it.

In some states, tably Missouri, passing amendments may t expand access immediately. Courts would be asked to invalidate bans; and re could be legal battles over that. Clinics would need to staff up and get licenses. And some restrictions could remain in effect.

Arizona, a battleground in presidential election, bans abortion after first 15 weeks of pregnancy.

ballot measure re gained momentum after a state Supreme Court ruling in April found that state could enforce a strict abortion ban adopted in 1864. Some GOP lawmakers joined with Democrats to repeal law before it could be enforced.

measures would enshrine current access laws elsewhere
In Democratic-controlled Colorado and Maryland, ballot measures would largely put existing policies into state constitutions, though Colorado’s version could also remove financial barriers to abortion. It would take 55% of vote to pass re.

Measures maintaining access also are on ballot in Montana, where a U.S. Senate race could help determine control of chamber, and Nevada, a battleground in presidential election.

In Nevada, where control of state government is divided, ballot measure would have to be passed this year and again in 2026 to take effect.

New York also has a measure on ballot that its supporters say would bolster abortion rights. It doesn’t contain word “abortion” but rar bans discrimination on basis of “pregnancy outcomes, and reproductive healthcare and automy.”

(This story is t edited by Republic and is published from a syndicated feed)