Arizona certifies abortion access measure for November vote

Arizona voters will decide in November whether to add abortion rights to the state constitution.

The Arizona secretary of state’s office said Monday it had certified 577,971 signatures, well above the required number that the coalition supporting the ballot measure had to submit to put the issue before voters.

The Arizona for Abortion Access coalition said it is the largest number of validated signatures for a citizen initiative in state history.

“This is a huge victory for Arizona voters, who will now be able to vote YES to restore and protect the right to access abortion care, free from political interference, once and for all,” campaign manager Cheryl Bruce said in a statement.

Democrats have made abortion rights a central message since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022, and it is a key part of their efforts in this year’s elections.

The issue is already up for vote this year in Colorado, Florida, Maryland, Nevada, New York and South Dakota.

Arizona law currently bans abortions after 15 weeks. The ban, which became law in 2022, includes exceptions in cases of medical emergencies but has restrictions on nonsurgical abortion. It also requires an ultrasound before performing an abortion, as well as parental consent for minors.

The proposed amendment would allow abortions until the fetus could survive outside the womb, typically around 24 weeks, with exceptions to save the mother’s life or protect her physical or mental health. It would restrict the state from adopting or enforcing any law that would prohibit access to the procedure.

Organizers said they initially submitted 823,685 signatures, more than double the 383,923 required from registered voters.

Opponents of the measure say it goes too far and could lead to unlimited, unregulated abortions in Arizona.

Supporters, meanwhile, say a constitutional amendment ensures that abortion rights cannot be easily erased by a court decision or legislative vote.

In April, the Arizona Supreme Court upheld an 1864 abortion ban that allowed abortions only to save the mother’s life and provided no exceptions for survivors of rape or incest, but the Republican-controlled Legislature voted to overturn the Civil War-era ban, and Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs quickly signed it into law.

The 19th-century law had been blocked since the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization struck down constitutional protections for abortion.

Copyright 2024 NPR