Florida abortion ballot measure falls flat in a major win for Gov Ron DeSantis

Florida ballot measure that would have paved the way for enshrinement of abortion rights in the state constitution failed to meet the required 60 per cent threshold Tuesday (Nov 5), in a major setback to abortion rights advocates.

On the flip side, the mandate is seen as a major victory for Gov. Ron DeSantis, who had been a vocal critic of the proposed amendments.

The ballot defeat means that a six-week abortion ban will remain in place in the red state. The state previously had a 15-week ban but that changed in May, when the six-week rule was introduced.

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With the continuation of the six-week rule, abortion access has now been severely restricted in the country’s South, where other Republican-leaning states have introduced similar restrictions and bans.

Abortion rights advocates were rooting for a change in this situation and even spent more than $100 million towards this campaign but to no avail.

The proposed amendment

The amendment aimed at adding protections for abortion up to fetal viability—around 24 weeks—directly into the state constitution.

This would block the state from passing any laws that would "prohibit, penalise, delay, or restrict" access to abortion up to that point.

It must be noted that similar ballot measures have largely succeeded in states that have held voting since the US Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022. That trend too stands broken now, thanks to efforts put in by the state’s DeSantis administration.

The state attorney general earlier this year even tried to bar the measure from qualifying for the ballot but failed.

In Florida, an initiative needs to be reviewed by the state’s supreme court before it is green-lighted for the ballot.

(With inputs from agencies)