A proposed amendment to enshrine access to abortion in Arizona’s constitution is one step closer to appearing on the November 2024 ballot after organizers submitted over 823,000 signatures of registered voters, more than twice the required number. This is the largest number of signatures ever submitted in Arizona for a citizen-led ballot initiative. If approved, the amendment would create a “fundamental right” to receive an abortion up until fetal viability. The state would be barred from restricting abortion in cases where the health or life of the pregnant person is at risk.
The political debate over abortion rights in Arizona intensified after the U.S. Supreme Court’s reversal of Roe v. Wade in 2022. In response, the Arizona Supreme Court had reinstated a near-total ban on abortion from 1864, which was later repealed by state lawmakers in May following backlash. The proposed ballot measure, if approved, would effectively undo the 15-week ban.
Putting the abortion issue directly before voters in Arizona could potentially boost Democratic turnout in the 2024 presidential election, as well as for Senate and House races. Arizona is one of several states where similar measures to enshrine abortion rights in the constitution are being advanced. The office of Arizona Secretary of State Adrian Fontes has until August 27 to review and certify the measure for the November ballot.
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