Voters Decide Moral Issues at the Ballot Box - FL Abortion Amendment Fails

Some big issues are being decided directly by voters on this Election Day through ballot measures on topics ranging from state constitutional abortion amendments to marijuana legalization.

Voters in 41 states will decide on more than 145 statewide ballot measures.

STATES to WATCH on ABORTION:

According to Ballotpedia, the overturning of Roe v. Wade triggered a record number of abortion-related measures on the ballot in 2022.

Now voters in 11 states have made their voices heard on abortion-related measures, the most on record in a single year. In many of these states, a "yes" vote today would overwrite pro-life protections and permanently enshrine abortion rights in the state's constitution, allowing the procedure to be performed up until birth.

Florida:

In Florida, Amendment 4 has been rejected by voters. A majority voted for the amendment, but it required a 60% threshold to pass. The amendment would have created a constitutional right to abortion before viability or when "necessary to protect the patient's health." Pro-life critics of the amendment said it would have allowed for taxpayer-funded, late-term abortions up until the moment of birth. 

Alliance Defending Freedom's Kristen Waggoner warned against the measure beforehand:

Amendment 4 opens the door for unrestricted abortions up to the moment of birth in Florida. It could even require Florida taxpayers to pay for abortions. It’s nowhere near “moderate.”

And, like many of these extreme abortion initiatives, the amendment’s language is deliberately…

— Kristen Waggoner (@KWaggonerADF) August 30, 2024

Missouri:

Missouri's Amendment 3 would amend the Missouri Constitution to create abortion rights by labeling them "reproductive freedom", which is defined as "the right to make and carry out decisions about all matters relating to reproductive health care, including but not limited to prenatal care, childbirth, postpartum care, birth control, abortion care, miscarriage care, and respectful birthing conditions."

"It's important for us to realize here in the state of Missouri that Amendment 3 is the most extreme abortion law that would be on the books in the entire nation. More extreme than California, more extreme than New York or Illinois," Brian Westbrook from Coalition Life told CBN News.

Nebraska:

Nebraska is the only state with dueling initiatives, one calling for abortion access and another banning it after 12 weeks.

Arizona:  

Proposition 139 would amend the state constitution to provide for the "fundamental right to abortion." If voters choose yes on this initiative, it would provide a right to an abortion before fetal viability or it could be done after fetal viability if a doctor decides the mother's life, physical, or mental health is at risk. 

Nevada:

In Nevada, voters will decide on the "Right to Abortion Initiative." A "yes" vote would enshrine the right to an abortion up to 21 weeks, with exceptions to save the mother's life or protect her general health. 

Other states that will be voting on ballot measures that could undermine pro-life protections for preborn humans include Colorado, Maryland, Montana, New York, and South Dakota.

Ballot Measures About SCHOOL CHOICE 

Education-related ballot measures have generated fewer headlines than abortion but will have a major impact on the education system and freedom for families. 

One of the most major votes will be on school choice and whether or not families will be provided with taxpayer funding to send their children to private schools or homeschool them. 

Colorado:

Colorado Amendment 80 would provide that "each K-12 child has the right to school choice" and enshrine it as a right in the state constitution.

Kentucky:

Kentucky Amendment 2 would allow a change in its constitution to allow for school choice. 

Nebraska:

A veto on Nebraska's Referendum 435 will repeal legislation that allocates $10 million in taxpayer funding each year for a scholarship program for eligible students to cover the costs of attending accredited private schools.

Other states will be voting on ballot measures including school choice programs, non-public education, standardized testing, funding, and more—the most in 18 years, Ballotpedia.org reports.

Ballot Measures for MARIJUANA and PSYCHEDELIC DRUGS 

Four states cast their vote on Election Day to determine the acceptance of mind-altering drugs like marijuana. Right now, 24 states have legalized the recreational use of weed and 20 states have legalized it for medical purposes. 

Florida:

The outcome has been determined for Amendment 3 in Florida. Less than 60 percent of voters chose yes on the state's marijuana measure, which means it has failed. The issue at stake involved legalizing recreational marijuana, including the possession of up to three ounces of marijuana. 

Nebraska:

Nebraska, which is currently one of six states that does not allow the use of medical marijuana, will be voting to determine if doctors will have the okay to prescribe weed. 

Massachusetts, Oregon, and Colorado are looking to pass ballot initiatives to legalize or decriminalize certain psychedelic substances.

Ballot Measures About NON-CITIZENS VOTING

Meanwhile, a number of states are also voting on measures aimed at keeping non-citizens from voting. While the federal government prohibits non-citizens from engaging in national elections, that law does not apply to elections at the state and local levels.

Iowa, Idaho, Kentucky, Missouri, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, and Wisconsin will decide whether to take extra steps to "Prohibit the state and local governments from allowing noncitizens to vote."

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