WASHINGTON — Florida voters on Tuesday rejected the creation of a constitutional right to abortion, a political victory for Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis that will keep in place the state’s ban on most abortions after the first six weeks of pregnancy.

It’s the first ballot victory for abortion opponents in any state since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022, a decision that ended national abortion rights and opened the door to bans in most GOP-controlled states, protections in democrat. -the dominated and new political and legal battles throughout the country.

Florida’s measure failed to pass the 60 percent voter approval threshold needed to pass constitutional amendments in Florida. Most states require a simple majority.

Defeat makes a permanent change in The southern landscape of abortion which began when the six-week ban went into effect in May. This eliminated Florida as an abortion destination for many women from nearby states with deeper bans, and also resulted in many more women in the state traveling to obtain abortions. The closest states with tighter restrictions are North Carolina and Virginia — hundreds of miles away.

Marjorie Dannenfelser, president of the national anti-abortion group SBA Pro-Life America, said in a statement that the result was “an important victory for life in Florida and for our entire country,” praising DeSantis for leading the charge against measure.

DeSantisa Republican with a national profile, led GOP state funds to the cause. His administration also weighed in with a campaign against the measure, the investigators questioning people who signed petitions to add him to the ballot and threats to TV stations who ran an ad endorsing it.

Florida is one of the nine states with abortion-related ballot questions in Tuesday’s election.

The presence of the measures was also expected to boost attendances at a number of crucial races.

Through ballot measures and candidate choices, Tuesday is the clearest opportunity yet for a large number of voters to weigh in on the issue since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022, ending the nation’s right to abortion and opening the door to bans. in most GOP-controlled states, protections in Democratic-dominated ones, and new political battles.

The presence of the measures was also expected to boost turnout in a number of key races for office. The future legality and availability of abortion depends not only on ballot measures, as policies could change depending on who controls Congress and the presidency. Same with state governments – including legislatures that pursue new laws, state supreme courts that determine the constitutionality of laws, attorneys general that decide whether to defend them, and district attorneys that enforce them.

If all the abortion rights measures pass, “it’s a sign of how much support for reproductive rights has become,” said Mary Ziegler, a professor at the University of California Davis School of Law and an expert on the history of reproductive rights. in the USA

“If some of them fail,” she added, “then you’re going to see some conservatives looking for guidance to see what the magic ingredient was that made it possible for the conservatives to stem the tide.”

Voters Support Abortion Rights Abortion Rights Advocates predominant on all seven measures that have appeared since Roe was overturned.

Abortion rights campaigns have a big part fundraising advantage this year. Their opponents’ efforts are focused on portraying the amendments as too extreme, rather than abortion as immoral.

Currently, 13 states enforce bans at all stages of pregnancy, with some exceptions. Four more abortions, in most cases after about six weeks of pregnancy – before women often realize they are pregnant. Despite the bans, the number of monthly abortions in the US it has increased slightly, due to increased use of abortion pills and organized efforts to help women travel for abortions. However, advocates say the bans have limited accessespecially for lower-income and minority residents of states with bans.

The issue resonates with voters. About a quarter said abortion policy was the most important factor in their vote, according to AP VoteCast, a broad survey of more than 110,000 voters nationwide. Almost half said it was an important factor, but not the most important. Just over 1 in 10 said it was a minor factor.

The results of ballot initiatives seeking to overturn strict abortion bans in Florida and Missouri were very important to most voters in the states. More than half of Florida voters identified the amendment’s outcome as very important, while about 6 in 10 Missouri voters said the same, the poll found.

The bans are also part of a key argument in the presidential race. Vice President Kamala Harris calls them “Trump abortion bans,” noting former President Donald Trump’s role in overturning Roe v. Wade. Meanwhile, Harris presented herself as an outspoken and consistent advocate for reproductive health and rights, including black maternal health.

Trump has sought to create a divide between his own base of anti-abortion supporters and most Americans who support abortion rights, relying on his general answer that abortion rights should be left up to individual states.

His changing positions on reproduction rights includes the oath in October to veto the national ban on abortionjust weeks after the presidential debate when he he repeatedly refused to say Trump also regularly took credit for appointing three Supreme Court justices who helped overturn Roe v. Wade.

After voting in Palm Beach, Fla., on Tuesday, Trump was asked twice as long as the abortion measure voted there – and didn’t respond directly. The first time he said he did “a great job bringing it back to the states.” The second time, he snapped at a reporter, saying “you should stop talking about this.”

Trump’s attempt to find more prudent attitude on abortion echo the efforts of many Republican congressional candidates as the issue has emerged as a major vulnerability for the GOP. In competitive congressional races from coast to coast, Republicans they distanced themselves from the more aggressive anti-abortion policies coming from their party and its allies, despite their record on the issue and previous statements opposing abortion rights.

The measures could overturn bans in five states While the ballot questions have similar goals, each deals with its own political circumstances.

Nebraska has competing ballot measures. One would allow abortion later in pregnancy. The other would enshrine in the constitution the current state law, which bans most abortions after 12 weeks — but would allow for additional restrictions.

In South Dakota, the measure would allow some regulations related to women’s health after 12 weeks. Because of this wrinkle, most national abortion rights groups do not support it.

In some states, notably Missouri, approval of amendments cannot be extended immediate access. Courts would be asked to invalidate the bans; and there could be legal battles over it. Clinics should create their own staff and obtain licenses. And some restrictions may remain in place.

Arizona, a presidential battleground, bans abortion after the first 15 weeks of pregnancy.

The ballot measure there gained momentum after a state Supreme Court ruling in April found that the state could enforce a strict abortion ban passed in 1864. Some GOP lawmakers have sided with Democrats to repeal the law before it can be implemented.

The measures would enshrine current access laws elsewhere. In Democratic-controlled Colorado and Maryland, the ballot measures would put most of the existing policies in the state constitutions, though Colorado’s version could also remove financial barriers to abortion. It would take 55% of the vote to get there.

Measures to maintain access are also on the ballot in Montana, where a U.S. Senate race could help determine control of the chamber, and Nevada, a presidential battleground.

In Nevada, where control of state government is divided, the ballot measure would have to pass this year and again in 2026 to take effect.

New York also has a measure on the ballot that supporters say would strengthen abortion rights. It does not contain the word “abortion” but rather prohibits discrimination based on “pregnancy outcomes, reproductive health care, and autonomy.”