Voters in Four States Move to Safeguard Abortion Rights

WEDNESDAY, Nov. 9, 2022 (HealthDay News) — U.S. voters spoke up for abortion rights Tuesday through ballot measures in four states in what was seen as a win for abortion rights supporters.

In Michigan, California, and Vermont, voters approved measures that would amend their state constitutions to protect abortion, about four months after the U.S. Supreme Court removed the constitutional right to the procedure, The New York Times reported. Meanwhile, Kentucky voters were asked to vote for a measure that would have said there was no right to an abortion at the state level. They rejected it.

For those in California and Vermont, which already have abortion protections, the measures strengthened those rights. In Michigan, the decision makes a bigger immediate difference. Voters there approved an amendment to the state’s constitution guaranteeing the right to abortion. When the Supreme Court decision to overturn Roe v. Wade was made in late June, that enlivened a dormant state law banning abortion. But the law is currently on hold through the courts.

In Kentucky, voters made their voices heard just a week before the State Supreme Court is scheduled to hear a challenge to Kentucky’s abortion ban. The state is considered reliably Republican. Voters there nixed a ballot measure that would have denied any constitutional protections for abortion.

In Vermont, the constitutional amendment passed resoundingly, with about 77 percent of Vermont voters approving it, The Times reported.

The New York Times Article