TOLEDO, Ohio (WTVG) – Ohio was the only state to put an effort to protect abortion rights on the ballot in 2023. This fall, abortion rights activists in nine states are looking to build on the success of their colleagues in the Buckeye State with their own measures.
The wave of abortion rights questions on the ballot began after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022 and sent the issue of abortion access back to the states.
Fifty-seven percent of Ohioans voted for a constitutional amendment in 2023 to protect abortion access in the state. Michigan voters did the same in 2022. They are among seven states where voters have sided with abortion rights supporters since the Roe v. Wade ruling was overturned.
In a mix of red, blue and purple states, the issue of abortion access is on the ballot this fall. Montana this week became the latest state to put the issue on the ballot.
“This is really about basic human freedoms, and this is something that matters deeply to Americans no matter what state they live in,” said Kellie Copeland, the executive director of Abortion Forward, formerly known as Pro-Choice Ohio. “People want their basic human rights protected. They want reproductive freedom. They understand the importance of abortion care, and it shows that there is a path to victory no matter where you live.”
She said she has heard from other abortion rights advocates in states trying to replicate Ohio’s success in 2023. She is confident that more states will follow Ohio’s lead in the fall and protect access to the procedure at the ballot box.
“It’s not just a political issue,” Copeland said. “We just give them all the hope, encouragement and love because we know what they’re doing is very hard, but it’s also very necessary.”
She said the best advice she gives to advocates in other states who reach out to her is to stay the course.
“Speak from the heart and be direct with voters,” Copeland said. “You should not be ashamed of talking about abortion because everyone understands how deeply personal it is and how critically important it is. We say to our colleagues in other states, ‘You have the moral high ground. You are acting on the will of the people. Continue to have conversations with voters and clear up all the misinformation coming from your opponents.'”
Copeland said abortion rights groups in Ohio are focusing this year on the Ohio Supreme Court, where three seats are up for election and the justices are dominated by the parties.
“If we don’t have a majority in the state Supreme Court, the Reproductive Freedom Amendment could be ignored by the court,” Copeland said.
The passage of Issue 1 in November did not automatically overturn Ohio’s abortion laws; they must be overturned in court or repealed by the legislature. A ruling from a Hamilton County Common Pleas Court judge is expected soon on Ohio’s six-week abortion ban, also known as the Heartbeat Law. It would be the first major law to be struck down as unconstitutional since last November.
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