Vivek Ramaswamy, US Republican presidential candidate, fills out his ballot in Columbus

Residents of Ohio have voted to enshrine the right to an abortion in the state constitution. This referendum, referred to as Issue 1, has the potential to impact the upcoming presidential race in 2024.

Ohio Votes to Protect Abortion Rights in Latest Post-Roe Referendum for US

Residents of Ohio voted on Tuesday to enshrine the right to an abortion in the Republican-run US state’s constitution, according to US media projections. This referendum, known as Issue 1, could serve as a bellwether for a key issue that is likely to dominate the upcoming presidential race in 2024.

As of now, with slightly more than half of the votes counted, media outlets such as CNN and ABC News project that the referendum will pass with a majority of “yes” votes. If approved, the amendment to the state constitution will affirm the right to “make and carry out one’s own reproductive decisions,” including abortion.

President Joe Biden, who considers abortion rights a central issue of his presidency, stated that Ohioans “voted to protect their fundamental freedoms.” In his statement, Biden also expressed that voters rejected attempts by elected MAGA Republicans to implement extreme abortion bans that jeopardize women’s health and lives. He referred to his likely opponent in the 2024 election, Donald Trump, using his slogan “Make America Great Again.”

Before the polls closed at 7:30 pm (0030 GMT), Vivek Ramaswamy, a 38-year-old conservative Republican candidate, expressed his opposition to the measure of explicitly guaranteeing abortion rights in the state constitution. Ramaswamy, who identifies as pro-life, believes that adopting the amendment would not be beneficial for the country.

In contrast, Jill, a 43-year-old woman who preferred not to disclose her last name, voted “yes” to protect her reproductive rights as a woman.

With the 2024 election on the horizon, political observers in the US are closely watching Ohio. Activists on both sides of the reproductive rights issue have engaged in a fierce, multi-million-dollar campaign in the state.

This vote comes 17 months after the Supreme Court invalidated the national right to abortion, allowing certain states to outlaw the practice entirely, even in cases of rape or incest.

In Ohio, the repeal of the landmark Roe v. Wade decision triggered a state law banning abortions once a fetal heartbeat is detected, usually at around six weeks of gestation when many individuals are not even aware of their pregnancy. The law is currently suspended due to legal challenges, enabling access to abortions in Ohio up to approximately 22 weeks of pregnancy.

However, during the brief period when the law was in effect last year, there was a national outcry when a 10-year-old rape survivor was forced to travel to neighboring Indiana for an abortion after being denied care in Ohio.

Voters check in at a polling location in Columbus, Ohio, on November 7, 2023

Erin, a 45-year-old brewery worker who preferred not to share her full name, emphasized the importance of voting on the two significant ballot issues – Ohio is also voting on the legalization of marijuana.

Ohio’s referendum, known as Issue 1, guarantees the right to make reproductive decisions, including abortion. However, it allows for the prohibition of abortions after “fetal viability” unless a doctor believes the life or health of the pregnant patient is at risk.

A measure proposed in August, which aimed to make it harder to achieve constitutional amendments in Ohio and was a response to the impending abortion referendum, was decisively rejected by voters.

Another voter fills out her ballot in Ohio, which is being seen as a potential bellwether in the US 2024 election

While Ohio has been won by Donald Trump in both the 2016 and 2020 elections, more voters in the state have adopted conservative views. Governor Mike DeWine cautioned that the ballot language for Issue 1 would lead to abortions being permissible “at any time during the pregnancy,” with the potential for minors to obtain abortions without parental knowledge. The “Yes” camp dismissed this framing as “disinformation.”

Although elected representatives often express support for restrictions on abortion, many conservative US voters have reservations about the extent to which these restrictions have been enforced following the overturning of Roe. Over the past year, several states, including California, Kansas, and Kentucky, have voted to preserve abortion rights or rejected efforts to restrict them.

In Kentucky, which leans conservative, incumbent Democratic Governor Andy Beshear, who made abortion rights a prominent issue, was projected to be re-elected, defeating Republican Daniel Cameron. Republicans in Virginia hope to secure victories in legislative races to tighten abortion restrictions.