This is an important victory for defenders of the right to voluntary termination of pregnancy. Voters in Kansas, a conservative Midwestern state, voted to uphold the constitutional abortion guarantee on Tuesday in the first major abortion ballot since the U.S. Supreme Court struck down the right federal to abortion.
Voters in this conservative state rejected an amendment that would have removed language guaranteeing the right to abortion in the state Constitution and could have paved the way for stricter regulation or a ban. Out of 90% of the counted votes, the no was ahead of the yes by about 60% against 40%.
political test
This election was seen as a political test at the national level, many conservative states having already banned or intending to quickly ban any right to abortion. Although the “no” supporters have won a clear victory in Kansas, they are watching with anxiety the neighboring states of Missouri and Oklahoma, which have imposed near total bans. Missouri does not allow exceptions for rape or incest.
Other states, including California and Kentucky, are due to vote on the issue in November, coinciding with midterm congressional elections in which Republicans and Democrats hope to rally their supporters around abortion.
The result in Kansas means that abortion will remain legal until 22 weeks of pregnancy. Parental authorization is required for minors. The vote, which coincided with the Kansas primaries, represented the first opportunity for American voters to express their views on abortion since the Supreme Court overturned its landmark 1973 decision, Roe v. Wade.