Florida’s abortion-rights ballot initiative fell short of passing on Tuesday, leaving in place a six-week abortion ban that has helped restrict access across almost all of the Southern U.S.  T…

Summary

Florida voters narrowly defeated an abortion-rights ballot initiative on Tuesday, preserving the state’s six-week abortion ban.

The measure’s defeat is a significant victory for Gov. Ron DeSantis ®, whose administration actively opposed the amendment through legal challenges, public agency ads, and investigations. The measure required a 60% supermajority to pass—the highest threshold in the U.S.—and would have protected abortion rights up to 24 weeks.

Florida is now the first state to reject an abortion rights amendment since Roe v. Wade was overturned, limiting abortion access across the Southern U.S.

  • Zak@lemmy.world
    11·
    18 days ago

    Florida is a solidly red state in which Trump is winning by a 13 point margin with most of the votes counted. The amendment has 57% to Trump’s 56.2% at the time of this comment.

    Some states require a simple majority, but Florida’s ballot measures require 60%.