Abortion advocates celebrate the outcome in Ohio. — © Getty Images via AFP
Voters in the US state of Ohio have voted to enshrine the right to abortion in the local constitution. The Associated Press reports this. A law recently signed by the Republican governor of Ohio banning abortion after six weeks of pregnancy has now expired.
The New York Times calls the outcome “a strong signal” that voters are still angry about the Supreme Court’s June 2022 overturning of Roe v. Wade. American women thus lost their constitutional right to have an abortion. States could then decide for themselves whether abortion was allowed, which led to very strict restrictions in many places. Abortion has since been practically banned in fourteen states.
An amendment will be added to the Ohio Constitution that would ensure the right to abortion up to 23 weeks and later when the mother’s health is at risk. The new paragraph also contains guarantees regarding, among other things, contraception and fertility treatments, he said CNN.
President Joe Biden responded with satisfaction to the decision. “Tonight, Americans voted again to protect their fundamental freedoms,” he said in a statement.
In America, elections for different local political levels were held in many states on Monday. For example, a governor was elected in the states of Kentucky and Mississippi and a new mayor was voted in the city of Philadelphia. The vote in Ohio was closely watched nationwide, as both Democrats and Republicans wanted to gauge voters’ anger over the loss of federal abortion rights ahead of next year’s congressional and presidential elections.
The victory in a conservative state like Ohio raises hopes among abortion advocates that other right-wing states, such as Arizona, South Dakota, Missouri and Florida, will vote for similar amendments in next year’s elections. In 2022, the right to abortion was also on the ballot in six states. Abortion advocates won every time.
