MJP –
The right to abortion is a constitutional amendment that Arizonans will have the chance to vote on in November.
Monday, the Arizona secretary of state’s office said that it had certified 577,971 signatures, which is significantly more than the minimum amount that the coalition advocating for the ballot issue needed to submit to have the question put to the vote.
This citizens’ initiative has the most valid signatures certified in Arizona history, according to the alliance Arizona for Abortion Access.
According to campaign manager Cheryl Bruce, “This is a huge win for Arizona voters who will now get to vote YES on restoring and protecting the right to access abortion care, free from political interference, once and for all.”
A major component of the Democratic platform for the upcoming election is the protection of abortion rights, which the party has prioritized since the Supreme Court’s 2022 decision to overturn Roe v. Wade.
Eight states—Colorado, Florida, Maryland, Nevada, New York, and South Dakota—have already scheduled ballot questions on the matter for this year.
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Abortions performed after 15 weeks are illegal in Arizona at this time. In 2022, the ban was signed into law with certain exceptions for medical situations. However, it does place restrictions on abortions that do not involve surgery. Before an abortion, an ultrasound must be performed, and minors must have their parents’ agreement.
Abortions would be legal under the proposed amendment until the fetus can survive outside the womb, usually about 24 weeks, with certain exceptions for situations when the mother’s life or mental or physical health is in danger. That would mean the state couldn’t pass or enforce any legislation that would make the procedure unavailable.
The original number of signatures presented by organizers was 823,685, which is almost twice the number of signatures needed from registered voters, which was 383,923.
Some feel it goes too far and might allow for unrestricted abortions in Arizona, which is why they are fighting against the proposal.
Abortion rights, according to proponents, would be permanently protected in the event of a constitutional amendment rather than being subject to judicial or parliamentary overturn.
Although the Arizona Supreme Court reinstated a ban on abortions passed in 1864—a ban that allowed abortions only in extreme cases—and that made no exceptions for survivors of rape or incest, Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs swiftly signed a repeal of the ban—which had been in place since the Civil War—into law.
With the repeal of constitutional safeguards for abortion in Dobbs v. Jackson, Women’s Health Organization, the 19th-century statute had been obstructed.
