Arizona and Missouri will vote in November on amendments that could enshrine access to abortion in their constitutions.
A petition to put the issue before voters received far more signatures than required under the laws of both states.
The Arizona amendment, if passed, would establish a “fundamental right” to abortion assistance until the fetus is viable, or about 24 weeks pregnant, with exceptions to “protect the life or physical or mental health” of the mother.
The change in Missouri would repeal the state’s near-total ban, which was put in place after the Supreme Court struck down the U.S. Constitutional right to abortion.
Opponents of the initiative in Arizona argue that it goes too far and could lead to unregulated abortion in the state. Lawsuits are expected to block the measure from being voted on.
Arizona is one of many states where voters have considered or will consider a ballot initiative on abortion access since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022.
So far, the measures have been well received by voters – residents of California, Michigan, Vermont and Ohio voted overwhelmingly to protect abortion rights.
Voters in Kansas and Kentucky also rejected referendums that would have revoked the right to abortion.
The Arizona Secretary of State’s office said it had certified 577,971 signatures – more than the 383,923 required to get on the ballot in Arizona – calling for voters to be asked directly how abortion access should look in the state.
The petition represents the highest number of valid signatures for a citizen’s initiative in the state’s history, said Arizona Secretary of State Adrian Fontes.
Arizona for Abortion Access – a coalition that includes the ACLU of Arizona and Planned Parenthood Advocates of Arizona, among others – led the months-long effort.
“This is a major victory for Arizona voters who can now vote YES to restore and protect the right to access abortion care once and for all, without political interference,” Cheryl Bruce, campaign manager for Arizona for Abortion Access, said in a statement.
Abortions are currently legal in Arizona up to the 15th week of pregnancy. After the 15th week, the law provides exceptions if it is necessary to save the life of the mother, but not in cases of rape or incest.
The approval of the abortion initiative comes months after a nationwide debate about a Arizona law of 1864 which banned almost all abortions in the state.
The Arizona Supreme Court earlier this year reinstated a law that punishes abortion with a prison sentence of two to five years unless the mother’s life is in danger. The state legislature had repealed the Civil War-era ban.
Thirteen U.S. states have banned abortion through so-called trigger laws after the Supreme Court ruled to abolish the constitutional right to abortion.
Missouri is one of these states.
When Roe was overturned, a Missouri state law went into effect in 2019 banning abortions “except in medical emergencies.”
The law made it illegal to perform or induce an abortion and provided for a prison sentence of five to 15 years.
Voters in Colorado, Florida, Maryland, Nevada, New York and South Dakota will also vote on abortion rights in November.