According to reports, voters decided to enshrine the right to abortions within the state constitution during Election Day on Tuesday.
This latest result is part of a national trend on abortion rights since the United States Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in June 2022.
Reproductive rights are becoming a more prevalent concern among voters among both Republican and Democratic parties.
With the approval of the ballot measure Issue 1, Ohio officials will be prevented from restricting abortion access before fetal viability, which doctors surmise to be around 22 to 24 weeks of pregnancy. After viability, the state can still restrict abortion access unless the patient’s life or health are at risk.
According to a CNN report, Ohio voters in August defeated a measure that would have raised the threshold for passage of ballot initiatives to change the state constitution from a simple majority to 60%. The measure was viewed as an attempt to block the abortion rights amendment.
