Arizona and Missouri are to vote on amendments that could enshrine access to abortion in their constitutions in November. A petition to put the issue before voters received far more signatures than required by both states’ laws.
A fundamental right The Arizona amendment, if approved, would codify a “fundamental right” to receive abortion care up until fetal viability, or about the 24th week of pregnancy, with exceptions to “protect the life or physical or mental health” of the mother.
Missouri’s amendment would reverse the state’s near-total ban, which was brought in after the Supreme Court removed US constitutional rights to abortion. Opponents of the Arizona initiative argue it goes too far and could lead to unregulated abortions in the state. Lawsuits to stop the measure from appearing on the ballot are expected. Arizona is one of many states where voters have considered or will consider a ballot initiative surrounding abortion access since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v Wade in 2022.
So far, the measures have proved popular with voters – residents of California, Michigan, Vermont and Ohio voted to protect abortion rights by wide margins.
Kansas and Kentucky voters also rejected referendums that would have stripped abortion rights. The Arizona Secretary of State’s office said it certified 577,971 signatures – more than the 383,923 required to appear on the ballot in Arizona – in support of asking voters directly how abortion access in the state should look
