A constitutional amendment in Florida that would have overturned the state’s six-week abortion ban is expected to fail Tuesday night, as the measure failed to gain approval from the minimum of 60 percent of voters.

The Associated Press reported around 9:30 p.m. that the measure had failed.

The amendment’s rejection follows Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump’s 13-point victory in an increasingly conservative state. The state also appears ready to reject an amendment broadly legalizing marijuana.

Florida is among 10 states in which voters are considering such a constitutional amendment this year following the Supreme Court’s decision to strike down nationwide abortion access guaranteed by Roe v. Wade.

Failure of the amendment would be a victory for Florida’s Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis, who campaigned aggressively against the proposal, calling it extreme.

Background

Millions of Americans across the country, from Florida to California, voted Tuesday on a series of ballot initiatives or constitutional amendments that could impact the state’s political trends for decades on a series of controversial issues, including access to abortion and the legalization of drugs.

Several initiatives have become the subject of national debate, particularly those on abortion access, as Kamala Harris courts female voters and Republicans try to defend strict abortion bans in states like Florida.

Pro-abortion initiatives have absorbed most of the national attention as Democrats frequently cite procedural access as a key issue motivate their vote after the overturning of a conservative Supreme Court Roe v. Wade in 2022, giving states back the power to legislate on the issue.

Abortion

Republicans and pro-life activists advocating the move were caught behind schedule when several national abortion initiatives passed with voter support in some traditionally red states — even as others failed. also failed to obtain the required support. Other states quickly adopted more restrictive abortion regulations, putting them in the crosshairs of ballot initiatives by pro-abortion groups.

One of the most radical initiatives was getting enough signatures for the ballot in Florida. Amendment 4 would overturn the state’s six-week abortion ban and could overturn state laws requiring parental consent.

State governor and former Republican presidential candidate Ron DeSantis invaded the state warning of the measure’s “misleading language” and unintended consequences of passing the amendment, such as later abortions and undermining parents’ rights.

“I think people should know the truth about what’s at stake here,” DeSantis said at a rally in central Florida. “Amendment 4, given how misleadingly it is framed, actually implies no limits.”

In total, abortion access initiatives are being voted on in 10 states, including the swing states of Arizona and Nevada. Residents of Nebraska – which divides its electoral votes based on who wins in each congressional district – will face abortion initiatives, one aimed at preserving the right to abortion and another that would prohibit in almost all cases beyond the first trimester.

Democrats hope that ballot measures on abortion access will motivate their base, and women in particular, to join their party. Kamala Harris has made this issue a central element of her speeches and policy proposals. As president, she promises veto any national ban on abortion and sign a bill to “restore reproductive freedom nationwide.”

Harris also attacked Donald Trump for what she claims to be “very offensive” remarks about women and alluded to past accusations of sexual assault or harassment against the former president.

“There is a saying that you should listen to people when they tell you who you are or who they are. And this isn’t the first time he’s told us he doesn’t believe women should have the power and authority to make decisions about their own bodies,” Harris said. said on the trail.

“We trust women,” she added.

Legalization of drugs

Several states across the country are also expected to vote on amendments to drug legalization. Florida, Nebraska, North Dakota and South Dakota will all vote on ballot measures proposing to legalize marijuana in those states.

This round of votes is the latest in a wave of states that have decriminalized the drug’s use since Oregon became the first state to do so in 1973 when it made possession of less than an ounce of cannabis punishable by a fine only. Recreational marijuana is now legal in almost half of the American states and Washington, D.C.

Massachusetts voters will face the question of whether to legalize psychedelic drugs for those 21 and older, a move opposed by the state’s psychiatrists. If Massachusetts voters approve the measure, it will be the third state to legalize the use of psychedelics, after Colorado and Oregon which legalized their use in 2022 and 2021, respectively.

The votes on the measures come as some states have reversed course on liberal drug legalization, including Oregon, the original pioneer. Earlier this year, Oregon’s governor signed a bill that recriminalize drug possession after a 2020 initiative that removed all criminal penalties. The liberal policy applied to drugs like heroin, cocaine and methamphetamine, which could be punished with a ticket and a fine.

Justice reforms

California is set to pass a ballot measure that would strengthen penalties for certain crimes, undoing several waves of criminal justice reforms that liberalized the code. Ten years ago, voters approved a separate proposal intended to relieve overcrowded prisons by reclassifying certain crimes as misdemeanors. Now law enforcement, prosecutors and retail stores blame the law for increasing crime, homelessness and drug overdoses.

After a recent attempt in 2020 to reverse the reforms failed, the new ballot proposal has reached as high as 75% approval in some polls and is likely close to passage.

Progressive prosecutors in Los Angeles and Oakland are also deal with the backlash against softer crime policies. Part of a group of prosecutors nationwide who have championed reforms aimed at weakening penalties in favor of alternative methods, Los Angeles District Attorney George Gascon and Oakland District Attorney Pamela Price, are facing recall elections. According to a recent survey, Gascon is lagging behind his conservative opponent by 24 points in the liberal-leaning city. Gascon has, according to the Legal Defense Fund for Law Enforcement, received more than 6 million dollars of ultra-leftist billionaire George Soros.

School choice

Three states are set to vote on school choice ballot initiatives that could increase government funding for private or home schooling. Two ballot measures would bring school choice to Kentucky And Colorado for the first time, who currently have no program.

Nebraska voters should decide the fate of an amendment It would repeal the state’s $10 million-a-year school choice program, which currently covers students’ tuition at private schools.