The abortion debate figured in Tuesday's midterms in a general sense—Democrats hoped that voters angry about the overturning of Roe v. Wade would turn out in droves to support their candidates. But abortion also was on the ballot in a literal sense in five states. The outcomes, per the AP and New York Times:
- Kentucky—rejected: Voters were asked whether to amend the state constitution to specify that it does not protect the right to an abortion and to prohibit the use of state funds for abortions. The AP notes: "While a significant moral victory for abortion-rights advocates, the amendment's defeat will have no practical impact on the right to an abortion if a sweeping ban on the procedure approved by lawmakers survives a legal challenge presently before the state Supreme Court."
- Michigan—passed: The state will amend its constitution to protect the right to abortion as well as broader reproductive rights such as contraception and miscarriage management.
- Vermont—passed: As with Michigan, Vermont may amend its constitution to protect women's right to choose an abortion, or "personal reproductive autonomy," as the measure puts it.
- California—passed: A state constitutional amendment will codify the right to abortion by prohibiting the state from interfering with women's access to the procedure or to contraception.
- Montana—not yet called: Voters will decide whether to require medical care and treatment for infants who are born alive after an attempted abortion. Unlike the other states, this isn't a constitutional amendment but a legislative referendum, per CBS News. Results hadn't been called by Wednesday morning, but with 80% of the vote in, "no" was leading by a 5-point margin.
This story will be updated as results come in. (More
2022 midterms stories.)
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