Arizona, Montana to Include Abortion Rights Constitutional Measures on November Ballots
Arizona and Montana have announced that the issue of enshrining abortion rights into their respective state constitutions will feature on their November ballots. The move could potentially influence the outcomes of the presidential and congressional races within those states.
Supreme Court Rulings in Arizona and Montana
In a decision that has far-reaching implications for the 2024 presidential election, the Supreme Court of Arizona cleared a ballot initiative that seeks to codify abortion rights within the state constitution. The verdict found the summary used in the signature collection process for the agenda to be appropriate, hence allowing the proposition to proceed.
Simultaneously, the Montana Secretary of State’s Office confirmed that supporters of abortion rights had obtained sufficient signatures to include the issue on their November ballot. With this development, Arizona and Montana have joined six other states, placing abortion rights measures on their ballots in the approaching fall.
Political Consequences
The introduction of this measure may be a critical factor given Arizona’s status as a swing state in the upcoming presidential election. In the last election cycle, President Joe Biden barely beat former President Donald Trump in Arizona, a victory that played a vital role in Biden’s triumph in the Electoral College.
In Montana, Senator Jon Tester, a Democrat serving his third term, faces stiff competition from Republican nominee Tim Sheehy, an ex-Navy SEAL. If Sheehy manages to defeat Tester, Republicans could potentially secure majority control of the Senate, altering the balance of power substantially.
Supreme Court Overturns Roe v. Wade
These new developments occur in the aftermath of the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in 2022 to overturn the longstanding Roe v. Wade ruling. The verdict, which had originally established a federal constitutional right to abortion, was overturned with the support of three justices nominated by Republican Trump.
As a result of this change, individual states received the freedom to set their own abortion access regulations. The decision, however, adversely affected the electoral outcomes of several Republican congressional candidates in 2022. Conversely, in the seven states where the topic of abortion rights was put to vote before this year, these measures were passed into law, even in states known for their conservative stance.
