Five states back, lean toward backing abortion rights at midterms

Following Kansas’ example from earlier this year, five states either voted in favor of or were leaning toward supporting abortion rights in the 2022 midterms. Five ballot initiatives were on the ballot just months after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade.

Voters in Michigan, California and Vermont voted to enshrine abortion right into their respective state’s constitutions. As of early Wednesday, it appeared voters in Kentucky were primed to reject an initiative that would amend their constitution to state that it does not provide the right to abortion or require funding of abortion. In Montana, voters were leaning toward rejecting an initiative that would require medical care to be provided to infants who are born alive, including after an attempted abortion.

The Michigan initiative puts a definitive end to a 1931 ban on abortion that had been blocked in court but could have been revived. It also affirms the right to make pregnancy-related decisions about abortion and other reproductive services such as birth control without interference.

The abortion rights question in Vermont came after the legislature passed a law in 2019 guaranteeing reproductive rights, including getting pregnant and having access to birth control. Meanwhile, California already had passed several measures aimed at easing access to abortion and set aside millions of taxpayer dollars to help pay for some out-of-state abortion travel.

Abortion rights were a top platform item for Democrats heading into the midterms. It polled among the top issues to Americans heading into the midterms, along with the economy and crime.

According to AP VoteCast, about two-thirds of American voters say abortion should be legal in most or all cases. Only about one in 10 say abortion should be illegal in all cases. About six in 10 also say the Supreme Court’s abortion decision made them dissatisfied or angry, compared with fewer who say they were happy or satisfied.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.