The US state of Ohio voted to enshrine abortion rights in its constitution, marking a major victory for pro-choice campaigners in the state.
The BBC’s US partner CBS News projected a decisive victory for the amendment. Early returns showed almost 56% of voters in the conservative-leaning state had backed it.
Its success is likely to bolster Democrats’ hopes that abortion rights remain a winning issue ahead of elections in 2024.
It also extends an unbeaten record for ballot measures designed to protect abortion rights since the nationwide right to the procedure was rescinded by the Supreme Court last year. This is the seventh such measure to pass.
The amendment will change the state’s constitution to include protections for abortion access. It will establish “an individual right to one’s reproductive medical treatment”, including abortion, contraception, and miscarriage care.
