Florida voters have rejected a ballot initiative aimed at expanding abortion rights and eliminating the state’s ban on abortions after six weeks of pregnancy, according to projections from The Associated Press. This defeat is a significant victory for Governor Ron DeSantis and state Republican leaders who campaigned against the measure.
The voters turned down Amendment 4, which sought to restore most of the state’s abortion restrictions to the period before the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade.
As a result, the state’s ban on abortion after six weeks will remain in effect—policy DeSantis supported during his unsuccessful presidential campaign. He, along with numerous other Republicans opposed to abortion, asserted that the amendment was harmful to women and children.
DeSantis and other Republican leaders utilized state resources to oppose the amendment, including producing public service announcements that the campaign supporting the measure claimed were misleading.ign supporting the measure claimed were misleading.
