Missouri’s Right to Reproductive Freedom, the ballot initiative to enshrine abortion rights, was certified on Tuesday to be on the state’s November 2024 ballot.
On Tuesday, Missouri Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft officially verified that the amendment put forth by the Missourians for Constitutional Freedom, a coalition aimed at ending the state’s abortion ban, submitted more than enough signatures from registered voters to put the Right to Reproductive Freedom Initiative on the ballot.
If approved by a majority of voters, the amendment would reverse Missouri’s near-total abortion ban policy. Following the U.S. Supreme Court‘s 2022 decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, Missouri outlawed abortions, except in case of medical emergencies. The state criminalized the procedure with penalties ranging from five to 15 years in prison for those performing the procedure.
“As we turn our attention to the November ballot, it’s clear Missourians overwhelmingly support reproductive freedom and will have the chance to make their voices heard at the ballot box. We are ready to fight so all Missourians can take back the freedom to make their own health care decisions,” Rachel Sweet, campaign manager for Missourians for Constitutional Freedom, said in a statement.
According to the ballot initiative, it would secure the right to abortion up until the point of fetal viability, typically around 23 to 24 weeks of pregnancy. The measure also includes provisions for abortions beyond this period if deemed necessary by a healthcare professional to protect the life or physical or mental health of the pregnant woman.
In response to the certification, Mallory Schwarz, executive director for Abortion Action Missouri, praised the amendment. She expressed a need for the amendment as “patients are being turned away from emergency rooms, and doctor’s hands are tied by politicians.”
“This amendment is about making sure pregnant Missourians get the care they need without delay or restrictions,” Schwarz said in a press release. “A yes vote ends the abortion ban so that Missouri patients, families, and doctors can make personal and private decisions about pregnancy and abortion care, without politicians interfering. This amendment, this effort to end Missouri’s abortion ban is Missouri-grown.”
Newsweek reached out to Missouri Secretary of State’s office via email on Tuesday for comment.
With the 2024 presidential election fast approaching, abortion has been a key issue for both the Republican and Democratic campaigns as former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris, who began her White House bid after President Joe Biden stepped down from the race last month, are expected to face off in November.
Since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in June 2022, many Republican-controlled states have put abortion restrictions into effect with 21 states banning or restricting the medical practice at every stage of pregnancy.
However, most Democratic states have laws or executive orders in place to protect access. Voters in California, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Montana, Ohio, Vermont and Arizona have taken steps to adopt similar ballot measures, hoping to put the abortion issue directly before voters.
Most recently, Arizona saw election officials certify on Monday that their ballot initiative, Arizona for Abortion Access, will appear on the state ballot in November after 577,971 signatures were collected.
The proposed ballot initiative would amend the state’s constitution and create a “fundamental right” to receive an abortion up until fetal viability. After that point, the measure would prohibit the state from restricting abortion in situations where the health or life of the pregnant person is at risk.
Additionally, a New York ballot measure, while not directly addressing abortion, proposes to prohibit discrimination based on “pregnancy outcomes” and “reproductive healthcare.”
