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A ballot to enshrine the right to abortion in the state constitution was approved in Ohio Tuesday (November 7) night, nearly 17 months after the Supreme Court's decision to strike down Roe v. Wade, NBC News projects.
Issue 1 ballot measure adds language in the Ohio constitution guaranteeing that every person the right “to one’s own reproductive medical treatment, including but not limited to abortion," and prohibits the state from “burdening, penalizing or prohibiting” those rights, but specifies that the procedure will be prohibited at a point in which a doctor deems a fetus could survive birth, excluding specific instances that would threaten the woman's life or health. The amendment will counteract Ohio's "heartbeat bill," which went into effect immediately after the Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization decision on June 24, banning most abortions -- excluding ectopic pregnancies and situations threatening the health of pregnant women -- though it remains blocked by a state judge.
The ballot's approval is the latest win for abortion-rights advocates with measures winning in every state election since the overturning of Roe v Wade, including Kentucky and Kansas, both of which, like Ohio, were carried by former President Donald Trump in the 2020 election. Polls have shown support for abortion rights nationwide and the issue will likely continue to be a key focus for Democrats in the 2024 elections.