With over 577,000 signatures verified, Arizona will put abortion rights on the ballot
Arizona voters will decide in November whether to add the right to abortion to the state constitution.
The Arizona Secretary of State’s office reported Monday that it had certified 577,971 signatures, far exceeding the required number the coalition backing the bill had to submit to put the issue before voters.
The Arizona for Abortion Access coalition said this is the highest number of validated signatures for a citizen initiative in the state’s history.
“This is a huge victory for Arizona voters, who can now vote YES to restore and protect the right to access abortion care, free from political interference, once and for all,” campaign manager Cheryl Bruce said in a statement.
Democrats have made abortion rights a central message since the U.S. Supreme Court Roe v. Wade Overturned in 2022 — and it’s an important part of their efforts in this year’s elections.
The issue will go before voters this year in Colorado, Florida, Maryland, Nevada, New York and South Dakota.
Arizona law currently bans abortions after 15 weeks. The ban, signed into law in 2022, includes exceptions for medical emergencies but has restrictions on nonsurgical abortions. It also requires an ultrasound before an abortion, as well as parental consent for minors.
The proposed amendment would allow abortions until a fetus can survive outside the womb, usually around 24 weeks, with exceptions to save the mother’s life or protect her physical or mental health. It would restrict states from passing or enforcing laws that would prohibit access to the procedure.
Organizers said they initially submitted 823,685 signatures, more than double the required 383,923 from registered voters.
Opponents of the measure say it goes too far and could lead to unlimited and unregulated abortions in Arizona.
Supporters argue that a constitutional amendment would ensure that the right to abortion cannot simply be erased by a court ruling or a vote in the legislature.
In April, the Arizona Supreme Court upheld a U.S. district court ruling. 1864 abortion ban which allowed abortions only to save the life of the mother and made no exceptions for survivors of rape or incest, but the Republican-controlled legislature voted for withdrawal of Civil War-era prohibition, and Democratic Governor Katie Hobbs quickly drawn.
The 19th century law has been blocked since the U.S. Supreme Court ruling in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, which gutted constitutional protections for abortion.