Abortion Rights Measures Fail in Florida, Pass in 3 States

Reproductive rights didn't just factor into the presidential race: The issue of abortion was on the ballot in 10 states on Tuesday. A look at partial results:

• Florida: Voters rejected an abortion rights amendment and kept in place Gov. Ron DeSantis' 6-week ban, per the AP. The initiative failed to reach the required 60% threshold for passage—it was at 57% with nearly all votes counted, per the Hill. The measure faced an uphill battle in the red state where Donald Trump, a Florida resident, said during the campaign that he would vote against it. The Hill notes that Florida is now the first state to defeat an abortion rights amendment since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022.

• Maryland: The AP reports that Maryland voters have approved a constitutional amendment protecting the right to abortion. The amendment states that it protects "the ability to make and effectuate decisions to prevent, continue, or end one's own pregnancy," per the New York Times. With almost half the vote counted, it has around 75% support, the Times reports.
• New York: The right to abortion has been approved by New York voters by a majority of more than 70%, NBC News reports. The measure adds language to the New York Bill of Rights stating that people cannot be denied rights based on factors "including sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, pregnancy, pregnancy outcomes, and reproductive healthcare and autonomy."
• Colorado. In Colorado, a measure to add abortion rights to the state constitution passed the 55% threshold, the AP reports. Amendment 79 also repeals a 40-year-old ban on the use of state and local government funding for abortion services, reports the Denver Post.

(More Election 2024 stories.)