Abortion Rights Played a Big Role in the 2022 Midterm Elections Outcome
On November 8, millions of Americans arrived at their local polling places to participate in the 2022 midterm elections. Voters nationwide cast their ballots for state and local representatives, deciding which political party will control Congress for the next two years. Five states — California, Michigan, Vermont, Kentucky, and Montana — had abortion rights directly on the ballot, a vote to decide the future of safe and legal abortion access in their state.
Reproductive rights remain one of the biggest issues facing the country, following the Supreme Court’s June 24 decision to overturn Roe v. Wade — the landmark 1973 decision that federally protected a person’s right to an abortion. Leading up to Election Day, abortion rights supporters tirelessly fought and advocated to protect abortion access, especially in states that threatened to remove protections. And as the results trickled in on Tuesday night and early Wednesday morning, voters made it clear that they want abortion access to remain safe and protected.
Below, we break down the outcome of abortion right measures in California, Michigan, Vermont, Kentucky, and Montana.
California
California residents voted to codify abortion protections in its state constitution, according to The Los Angeles Times. The ballot measure, known as Proposition 1, was a direct response to the Supreme Court’s ruling in Dobbs vs. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, the case that led to the reversal of Roe v. Wade.
The amendment to the constitution will now say that “the state shall not deny or interfere with an individual's reproductive freedom in their most intimate decisions, which includes their fundamental right to choose to have an abortion and their fundamental right to choose or refuse contraceptives.”
Michigan
Voters in Michigan also approved an amendment to their state’s constitution that will protect abortion rights and reproductive healthcare. The passing of this amendment prevents a 1931 law banning all abortions from taking effect, according to Politico.
Vermont
In Vermont, voters approved an amendment to their state’s constitution as well, which will protect a person’s right to choose. The amendment, known as Article 22, will be included in the constitution as follows: “That an individual’s right to personal reproductive autonomy is central to the liberty and dignity to determine one’s own life course and shall not be denied or infringed unless justified by a compelling State interest achieved by the least restrictive means,” per CNN.
Kentucky
Voters in Kentucky rejected an anti-abortion amendment to their constitution. The ballot measure proposed that the state constitution not “secure or protect a right to abortion or require the funding of abortion,” according to CNN.
Montana
Montana is still waiting on the results of its Born Alive Infant Protection Act, which would require “any infants born alive after an abortion” are legal persons and healthcare providers must take “necessary actions” to preserve the life of the child.
The proposal defines “born alive” as “the complete expulsion or extraction from the mother of a human infant, at any stage of development, who, after expulsion or extraction, breathes, has a beating heart, or has definite movement of voluntary muscles.” Any healthcare provider who does not attempt to save the infant’s life is subject to penalties. At time of publication, 83 percent of votes are in, according to The New York Times.
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