Arizona voters will decide in November whether they want add the right to abortion to the state constitution.
The Arizona secretary of state’s office said Monday it had certified 577,971 signatures — far above the required number the coalition supporting the ballot measure had to submit to put the issue before voters.
The Arizona Coalition for Abortion Access said it is the largest number of validated signatures for a citizens’ initiative in the state’s history.
“This is a huge victory for Arizona voters, who will now be able to vote YES on restoring and protecting 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 overturned Roe v. in 2022 — and is a key part of your efforts in this year’s elections.
The issue is already set to go before voters this year in Colorado, Florida, Maryland, Nevada, new York and South Dakota.
Arizona law currently prohibits abortion after 15 weeks. The ban, which was enacted in 2022, includes exceptions in cases of medical emergencies, but has restrictions on non-surgical abortion. It also requires an ultrasound before the abortion, as well as parental consent for minors.
The proposed change would allow abortions until the fetus can survive outside the womb, typically around 24 weeks, with exceptions to save the mother’s life or to protect her physical or mental health. It would restrict the State from adopting or enforcing any law that prohibits access to the procedure.
Organizers said they initially submitted 823,685 signatures, more than double the 383,923 required of registered voters.
Opponents of the measure say it goes too far and could lead to unlimited, unregulated abortions in Arizona.
However, its supporters say that a constitutional amendment guarantees that the right to abortion cannot be easily eliminated by a court ruling or legislative vote.
In April, the Arizona Supreme Court upheld a ban on abortion in 1864 which allowed abortion only to save the mother’s life and provided no exceptions for survivors of rape or incest, but the Republican-controlled Legislature I voted for repeal of the Civil War-era prohibition, and Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs I signed quickly.
The 19th century law had been blocked since the U.S. Supreme Court ruling in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, which eliminated constitutional protections for abortion.
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