Millions of Americans across the country, from Florida to California, will vote on Tuesday on a series of ballot initiatives or constitutional amendments that could change the course of state politics for decades on a range of contentious issues, including abortion access and legalization drugs.

Several initiatives have become the subject of national conversation, especially abortion access, as Kamala Harris courts female voters and Republicans try to defend strict abortion bans in states like Florida.

Abortion initiatives absorbed most of the national attention as Democrats frequently cite access to due process as a key issue reasoning his vote after a conservative Supreme Court was overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022, returning the power to legislate on this issue to the states.

Abortion

Republicans and pro-life activists who supported the decision were caught on the back foot when several statewide abortion initiatives passed with voter support in some traditionally red states — though others failed to garner the necessary support . Other states quickly passed more restrictive abortion regulations, making them a target for ballot initiatives by pro-abortion groups.

One of the most important initiatives secured enough signatures for the Florida ballot. Amendment 4 it would overturn the six-week ban on abortion and could overturn state laws requiring parental consent.

The state governor and former candidate for the presidency of the Republic of Moldova, Ron DeSantis, has barnsturged the state warning of the measure’s “misleading language” and the unintended consequences of passing the amendment, such as more late-term abortions and an undermining of parental rights.

“I think people should know the truth about what’s at stake here,” DeSantis said at a rally in central Florida. “Amendment 4, as it is deceptively designed, would effectively mean no limits.”

In all, there are abortion access initiatives on the ballot in 10 states, including swing states Arizona and Nevada. Residents of Nebraska — which splits the electoral vote based on the winner in each congressional district — will face dueling abortion initiatives, one to preserve abortion rights and the other to outlaw it in nearly all cases. after the first trimester.

Democrats argue that abortion access ballot measures will motivate their base, and women in particular, to join their party. Kamala Harris has made the issue a central component of her speeches and policy proposals. As president, she promises to oppose any national ban on abortion and to sign a bill to “restore reproductive freedom nationwide.”

Harris also attacked Donald Trump for what she claims they are “very offensive” remarks about women and alluded to past allegations of sexual assault or harassment against the former president.

“There is a saying that you have to listen to people when they tell you who you are or who they are. And it’s not the first time she’s told us she doesn’t think women should have the power and authority to make decisions about their own bodies,” Harris said. said on the route.

“We trust women,” she added.

Legalization of drugs

Several states across the country are also set to vote on drug legalization amendments. Florida, Nebraska, North Dakota and South Dakota will all vote on ballot measures that propose legalizing marijuana in those states.

This round of votes is the latest in a wave of states to decriminalize drug use since Oregon became the first state to do so in 1973 when he made possession of less than an ounce of cannabis punishable by a fine only. Recreational marijuana is now legal almost half of the US states and Washington, DC

Massachusetts voters are set to grapple with the question of whether to legalize psychedelic drugs for those 21 and over, a move against the state’s psychiatrists. If Massachusetts voters approve the measure, it will be the third state to legalize psychedelic use, after Colorado and Oregon legalized its use in 2022 and 2021, respectively.

The votes on the measures come as some states have pushed back on liberal drug legalization, including Oregon, the original pioneer. Earlier this year, Oregon’s governor signed a bill into law recriminalize drug possession after a 2020 initiative that eliminated all criminal penalties. The liberal policy applied to drugs like heroin, cocaine and methamphetamine, which could be ticketed and fined.

Justice reforms

California is set to vote on a ballot measure that would toughen penalties for certain crimes, reversing several waves of criminal justice reforms that have liberalized the code. A decade ago, voters approved a separate proposal designed to relieve overcrowded prisons by reclassifying some crimes as felonies. Now law enforcement, prosecutors and retail stores I blame the law for increased crime, homelessness and drug overdoses.

After a recent attempt in 2020 to reverse the reforms failed, the new ballot proposal has achieved approval of up to 75% in some polls and is likely to be approved.

So are the progressive prosecutors in Los Angeles and Oakland facing backlash against softer criminal policies. Part of a group of prosecutors nationwide who have advocated reforms to loosen sentencing in favor of alternative methods, LA District Attorney George Gascon and Oakland DA Pamela Price are facing recall elections. According to a recent survey, Gascon is behind his conservative opponent by 24 points in the liberal-leaning city. Gascon was, according to the Police Legal Defense Fund, the beneficiary over 6 million dollars from ultra-left billionaire George Soros.

School choice

Three states are set to vote on school choice initiatives that could expand government funding for private or home schooling. Two ballot measures would bring about school choice Kentucky and COLORADO for the first time, who currently have no schedule.

Nebraska voters are ready to decides the fate of an amendment that would eliminate the state’s $10 million-a-year school choice program, which currently covers the cost for students to attend private schools.