Voters in Kansas will be the first in the country to vote on abortion rights in the wake of the Supreme Court decision.
There is a sign in a yard urging voters to oppose a proposed amendment.
The state's constitution does not require government funding of abortion and does not create or secure a right to abortion, if voters approve a "Value Them Both" amendment.
A 'yes' vote means the voter supports the amendment and restricts abortion, while a 'no' vote would keep abortion legal.
The Kansas Supreme Court ruled that the state's constitution protects the right to abortion.
The amendment would allow for the enactment of new anti- abortion laws if it passes.
According to the Washington Post, Value Them Both has downplayed the possibility of a total abortion ban and has claimed the amendment will protect bipartisan limits on the abortion industry.
Many people travel to the state for abortions now that the procedure is not allowed in most other states.
The vote will go one way or another. According to a recent poll by Co/efficient, 45% of voters are in favor of the amendment, while 42% are against and 10% are undecided. The Supreme Court's decision to overturn abortion rights has increased the importance of voting on the amendment, according to more Democrats. 30% of the state's electorate are not affiliated with a political party, which means they can't vote in primaries, and they may be unaware that the ballot measure is an exception.
A total of 7,891. According to the state's health department, the number of abortions in Kansas went up from 7,528 in 2020 to 6,912 in 2019.
The deputy communications director for Value Them Both said in a statement that the amendment will ensure Kansas doesn't become a permanent destination for the most extreme and painful abortions. The question before Kansans on August 2nd is clear: an unregulated abortion industry with no limits at all or the reasonable limits protected by the Value Them Both amendment.
The group leading the opposition to the ballot measure states on its website that Kansas already regulates abortion. The amendment gives politicians in Topeka the power to ban abortion completely.
Other states have referendums on abortion. In the upcoming elections, Kansas will be the first state to have abortion rights on the ballot, as well as ballot measures in Kentucky, Montana, Vermont, California and possibly Michigan. The Vermont, California and Michigan measures would explicitly protect abortion rights in their state constitutions if approved, while Kentucky's is similar to Kansas' initiative and would amend the state constitution to make clear nothing in it "shall be construed" as protecting abortion rights. Montana wants voters to give legal rights to all babies who are born alive, including those who have been tried for an abortion.
After the 2020 election changed the makeup of the legislature, lawmakers tried again.
In the wake of the Supreme Court's decision, state abortion policies have become more urgent. One of the few states in the middle of the country that doesn't ban abortion is Kansas, thanks to a state court ruling that protects it, and the state has a Democratic governor who supports abortion rights. George Tiller, an abortion doctor who provided late-term abortions, was murdered in the state in 1991, and thousands of anti- abortion protesters descended on the area.
Michigan may join these states in putting an abortion referendum on the ballot.
Are you confused about the amendment? Ahead of the vote, we answered your questions.
The stakes could not be higher.
The Kansas vote could allow a ban on abortions.
The abortion vote looks like it will be close.
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