US Midterm Elections: Michigan, California, Vermont, Vote to Protect Abortion Rights – Nationwide

Voters in battleground Michigan have made strides in enshrining abortion rights in the state constitution, firmly joining Democrats California and Vermont. Kentucky Pregnancy Pills were premature.

Tuesday’s ballot measure comes months after the Supreme Court overturned the Roe v. Wade ruling, overturning the constitutional right to abortion guaranteed to women across the country. A June decision resulted in a near-total ban in 12 states.

Supporters of Michigan’s efforts to protect abortion rights have collected more signatures than any other ballot initiative in the state’s history to get it in front of voters. , puts a definitive end to the 1931 abortion ban, which had been blocked in court but could be reinstated.

It also recognizes the right to make uninterrupted decisions about other reproductive services, such as abortion and contraception.

On the campus of Michigan State University, third-year Devin Roberts said students seemed “excited” and had seen lines of voters pouring out of their school’s polling stations all day long. said. He said he was one of the main factors in high voter turnout.

“Whether or not you consent to the abortion, there’s a lot of energy going into Prop 3 on campus right now,” said Roberts. “I think students want to have the same rights that their parents had when they were young.”

Nationwide, nearly two-thirds of voters believe abortion should be legal in most or all cases, according to the AP VoteCast, a large survey of more than 90,000 voters nationwide. thinking about. Only 1 in 10 said that abortion should be illegal in all cases.

About 6 in 10 said they were dissatisfied or angry with the Supreme Court’s abortion ruling.

James Miller, 66, of Flint, Michigan, said he thought of his daughter, granddaughter and great-granddaughter when he voted yes on the bill.

“I think we should do the right thing for a woman,” he said. “It’s her body. It’s her privacy.”

Michelle Glesser, of Swartz Creek, Michigan, opposes abortion, but she believes there would be some narrow exceptions to any prohibition. I want all life to be preserved,” she said.

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Opponents argue that Michigan’s bill could have far-reaching implications for other laws in the state, such as laws requiring parental notification of abortions for those under the age of 18. A process that can take years and has no certainty of success.

Still, the message seems to resonate with some Michigan voters, including Brian Bauer, 64, of Mundy Township, who said the proposal was confusing. I voted against it.

Bauer is an anti-abortion advocate for some limited exceptions.

Meanwhile, Montana voters were also considering requirements for neonatal resuscitation care with potential criminal penalties, including the rare cases of attempted abortions.

In extremely conservative Kentucky, a ballot measure would amend the state constitution to declare that there is no right to abortion. The Republican-controlled Congress has already passed a bill that almost completely bans abortion. The move won’t change that, but the outcome could cast a shadow over the legal battle that returns to court a week after Election Day.

Lawmakers added the proposed amendment to the ballot last year. Some said this would encourage more conservative voters to participate in polls. But after Roe’s decision, abortion rights advocates raised nearly $1.5 million for him to fight it. They hoped to repeat the surprise result this summer in conservative Kansas, where voters overwhelmingly defeated a similar amendment that would allow for new bans and restrictions.

Initial results showed that thousands of Kentucky voters who supported Republican Senator Rand Paul’s re-election voted against the abortion amendment.

At an elementary school in Simpsonville, a small town outside Louisville, 71-year-old voter Jim Stewart said he voted for Paul, calling him “the only person on television that matters.”

Stewart is a registered Republican and opposes abortion, but still voted against the amendment.

Al Smith, 83, voted yes.

The issue of reproductive rights in Vermont arose after Congress passed a law in 2019 that guaranteed reproductive rights, including pregnancy and access to contraception. Supporters of the Reproductive Liberty Voting Committee said Roe’s overthrow meant “state-level protections are essential to protect access to reproductive health care.”

California has already passed several measures aimed at making abortions easier to access, setting aside millions of dollars of taxpayers to help pay for abortion trips out of state. On Tuesday, voters approved language in the state constitution that explicitly guarantees access to abortion and contraception.

The question for Montana voters was whether to impose criminal penalties on health care providers unless they did everything “medically appropriate and reasonable” to save the life of a baby after birth.

© 2022 The Canadian Press