A Win For Abortion Rights As Kansas Overwhelmingly Rejects Amendment To Allow Restrictions

KANSAS — Tuesday marked a decisive and potentially precedent-setting win for abortion-rights advocates, when voters in Kansas resoundingly rejected an amendment that would have allowed the state's legislature to severely restrict abortion.

“This vote makes clear what we know: The majority of Americans agree that women should have access to abortion and should have the right to make their own health care decisions,” President Joe Biden said in a prepared statement, calling on the U.S. Congress to restore the protections of Roe vs. Wade after it was overturned earlier in the summer.

The Value Them Both Amendment would have affirmed Kansas does not have a constitutional right to abortion and allowed legislators to regulate the procedure, including in cases involving rape or incest, or instances in which the mother’s life is at risk. Abortion is currently legal up to 22 weeks in the state, according to the Guttmacher Institute. Kansas has four abortion providers, which are currently overburdened, The Topeka Capital-Journal reported.

“Abortion is essential health care,” Planned Parenthood Great Plains said in a Facebook post. “When denied access to it, pregnant people can face long-lasting economic insecurity, unwanted contact with a violent partner, and numerous physical and mental health risks. Today we rejoice that Kansas took a stand to keep people who can become pregnant in charge of their bodies, their health, and their future.”

Turnout was overwhelming Tuesday, with Secretary of State Scott Schwab saying it was expected to outpace the projected 36 percent and could be as high as 50 percent, according to the Capital-Journal. The amendment result was called shortly after 9:30 p.m. by the Associated Press, with the opposition leading, 59 percent compared to 41 percent with all precincts reporting, according to The Wichita Eagle.

Both sides combined spent over $14 million on the ballot question, the Associated Press reported. Inaccurate text messages sent to voters Monday implied a yes vote would protect abortion, according to the Capital-Journal. In a Facebook post Tuesday, the Value Them Both campaign blamed an “onslaught of misinformation” for the amendment’s rejection.

“While the outcome is not what we hoped, our movement and campaign have proven our resolve and commitment,” the post said. “This outcome is a temporary setback, and our dedicated fight to value women and babies is far from over.”

Tuesday’s vote was the first chance to gauge public opinion after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in June, according to the Associated Press, which reported a similar ballot measure will occur November in Kentucky. Vermont and Michigan voters are expected to determine in the fall whether to add language protecting abortion rights to their constitutions, the Associated Press reported.