Florida ballot initiative fails
It needed 60 percent of voter support. It got 57 percent.
Abortion rights activists suffered a defeat in Florida as its ballot initiative failed to pass the required 60 percent threshold. For the past few weeks, there has been an onslaught of antiabortion tactics employed by Gov. Ron DeSantis to derail the effort. Currently, the law in the state bans abortions past six weeks.
Lauren Brenzel, campaign director for Yes on 4, which supported the amendment, spoke at a news conference afterward. Brenzel pointed out that 57 percent of the state supported the amendment.
“The reality is a majority of Floridians in what is the most conservative presidential election in Florida history just voted to end Florida's abortion ban,” Brenzel said.
“They are tired of women dying because of abortion bans,” Brenzel said. “They are tired of women being forced to give birth to children who died in their arms because of abortion bans. They are tired of doctors being threatened with prison time because of abortion bans. A bipartisan group of voters today sent a clear message.”
There will be much reflection and recrimination on what led to the defeat. At one point in July, According to a study conducted by the University of North Florida’s Public Opinion Research Lab, roughly 69 percent of state residents supported the proposed amendment. Something shifted public opinion at that time. It could have been all the shenanigans employed by DeSantis.
The campaign in Florida was strongly connected to Kamala Harris’ campaign in the hopes that abortion rights would lift her to victory in the Sunshine State. She lost to Trump.