Projections predicted Kansas voters would reject a ballot measure that would give the state authority to ban abortions in what many are calling the most significant referendum on the overturning of Roe v. Wade.
At 10:40 p.m. E.T., the Associated Press called the results, with 58.8 percent of voters voting “no” to giving state legislature the authority to ban abortion.
The ballot measure proposed the state constitution be amended, saying the right to an abortion is not protected by the state constitution. If it had passed, it would have effectively reversed a state Supreme Court decision from 2019.
Since the measure failed, the state Supreme Court ruling still stands, which makes abortion legal up to 22 weeks.
Following the measure’s rejection, Democrats and abortion rights activists lauded the decision.
In a tweet, Kansas Democratic Governor Laura Kelly, who is up for reelection in November, praised Kansas voters for standing up for “fundamental rights.”
She continued, “We rejected divisive legislation that jeopardized our economic future & put women’s health care access at risk. Together, we’ll continue to make incredible strides to make KS the best state in the nation to live freely & do business.”
Nancy Northup, president and CEO of the Center for Reproductive Rights, tweeted the vote is “an enormous victory for people in Kansas who voted to protect their fundamental right to personal and bodily autonomy.”
The vote comes just over a month since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade. After the ruling, many states worked on their own legislation, either banning the procedure or curbing restrictions.
