Advocates for reproductive rights in Arizona say they’ve come up short in their attempt to enshrine abortion access in the state constitution. They’ll now focus on regrouping for the 2024 election.
Arizonans for Reproductive Freedom says it collected more than 175,000 signatures statewide in the last two months before Thursday’s deadline. They’d hoped to gather enough to put the measure to voters in November. More than 356,000 valid signatures are required to put proposed constitutional amendments on Arizona’s ballot.
The effort to constitutionally protect abortion rights in the state began after a draft U.S. Supreme Court decision overturning Roe vs. Wade was leaked in early May. The official opinion was released last month.
Arizonans for Reproductive Freedom says it’ll now focus on placing an initiative on the ballot for the 2024 presidential election.
A similar effort to protect abortion rights in Michigan’s constitution began two years ago and has qualified for that state’s November’s ballot with about 800,000 signatures.
The procedure has been halted in Arizona as confusion persists about whether a pre-1901 law that bans all abortions is now enforceable following the Supreme Court’s ruling. Republican Attorney General Mark Brnovich recently said that law, dating from the state’s days as a territory, is now valid.
