As the 2024 election cycle approaches, voters in 10 U.S. states are gearing up to cast their ballots on major initiatives that either expand or restrict abortion access for women. This highly polarizing issue has been a focal point for advocacy groups, although some believe it may not have as significant an impact on voter turnout as previously anticipated.
The upcoming ballot initiatives are set to take place in Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Maryland, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New York, Nevada, and South Dakota. These measures seek to amend existing laws in response to the Supreme Court's decision to overturn Roe v. Wade in June 2022.
One of the notable policies up for consideration is in Missouri, where voters will have the opportunity to reverse the state's near-total ban on abortion. In Arizona, voters will decide whether to amend the state constitution to allow abortions up to the 24-week mark.
Florida, the most populous state among those voting on abortion measures, will be considering lifting a law that currently bans abortions after six weeks and extending it to the point of fetal viability between 23 and 24 weeks.
Despite efforts by Vice President Harris and other Democrats to raise awareness about the potential risks to abortion access, the impact on voter turnout remains uncertain. The issue of abortion has been ranked as the third-most important concern for voters in the upcoming election cycle, trailing behind immigration and the economy.
A recent poll revealed that a record-high number of voters support legalizing abortion in some form, with 59% stating that abortion should be legal in 'all or most cases.' However, only 15% of voters identified abortion as their top priority, with a majority prioritizing economic issues.
It is noteworthy that voters in states where abortion is on the ballot will be voting on this issue independently of their presidential and down-ballot choices, reflecting a decoupling of the abortion issue from broader political affiliations.
