[ad_1]
Posted on:
Voters in true red Kentucky rejected a ballot measure that would have repealed federal abortion protections while voters in Michigan’s battleground state upheld abortion rights. in their state’s constitution – joining Democratic California and Vermont in following suit.
The Kentucky result overthrew the state’s Republican-led Legislature, which passed a near-total ban on the measure and sent the state constitutional amendment to a vote. It also mirrored what happened in another red state, Kansas, where voters in August rejected an amendment to that state’s constitution to allow lawmakers to tighten restrictions, or to prevent abortions.
Tuesday’s vote came months after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade and the legal right to abortion for women in the country. The decision in June has already been banned in a dozen countries.
Supporters of a push to protect abortion rights in Michigan collected more signatures than any other ballot initiative in the state’s history to be put before the voters. The ban ended in 1931 on abortions that were prohibited in court but could be restored. It also guarantees the right to make pregnancy-related decisions about abortion and other reproductive services such as non-invasive birth control.
On campus at the University of Michigan, junior Devin Roberts said the students seemed to be “overwhelmed” and that he had seen lines of ballots flowing from polling places across the campus. day. Voting is one of the biggest drivers of voter turnout, he said.
“There’s a lot of energy for Support 3 in school right now, whether you agree with abortion or not,” Roberts said. “I think students want to have the same rights that their parents had when they were young.”
Nationally, nearly two-thirds of voters say abortion should be legalized in most all cases, according to AP VoteCast, a comprehensive survey of 90,000 voters nationwide. Only about 1 in 10 say abortion should be legal in all cases.
About 6 in 10 say the Supreme Court’s abortion decision made them unhappy or angry, compared to a minority who said they were happy or satisfied.
James Miller, 66, of Flint, Michigan, said he thought about his daughters, grandchildren and great-grandchildren when he voted for the measure.
“I think we should do the right thing for women,” she said. “His body; he is the secret.”
Michelle Groesser, of Swartz Creek, Michigan, said she is opposed to abortion, although she believes the ban is limited. “In an ideal world, I would want all lives to be saved,” he said.
Opponents of the Michigan measure have argued that it would have major implications for other state laws, such as requiring parental notification of abortions for anyone under 18. Legal experts say there could be changes to other laws if someone sues and wins. a process that can take years and is rarely successful.
Even so, the ad appeared to resonate with some Michigan voters, including Brian Bauer, 64, of Mundy Township, who called the proposal misleading and voted against it.
Bauer is an anti-abortion opponent who supports a minority, “but no one wants to submit (to) any kind of vulnerability … it’s a yes or no vote.”
Montana voters, meanwhile, are also considering new birth control requirements and possible criminal penalties, including the rare case of attempted abortion.
Kentucky lawmakers added the proposed amendment to the ballot last year, a move that some thought would drive straight voters to the polls. But after the Roe decision, abortion rights supporters raised nearly $1.5 million to fight back.
Early returns indicated that thousands of Kentucky voters supported GOP Sen. Rand Paul is up for re-election against the abortion amendment.
At an elementary school in Simpsonville, a small town outside of Louisville, 71-year-old voter Jim Stewart said he voted for Paul, saying he was “the only one on TV that matters.” he.”
Stewart is a registered Republican and opposed to abortion, but still voted against the amendment. “You should have a little space there.”
Al Smith, 83, voted yes: “I don’t believe in abortion, in any case,” he said.
The birth control question in Vermont came after the 2019 passage of legislation that guarantees reproductive rights, including pregnancy and access to birth control. Advocates with the Reproductive Liberty Vote Committee said the Roe reversal means “state protections are essential to protecting access to reproductive health care.”
California has passed measures aimed at easing access to abortion and setting aside millions of tax dollars to help pay for some out-of-state abortion trips. On Tuesday, voters approved language that fully guarantees access to abortion and birth control in the state constitution.
The question for Montana voters is whether to create criminal penalties for health care providers if they do everything “necessary and necessary” to save a baby’s life after birth, including the rare birth following an attempted abortion.
(AP)
[ad_2]
Source link
