Kansas votes to maintain abortion rights in first US test case
- Kansas voters reject an effort to remove abortion protections from the state constitution
- It was the first statewide electoral test since the US Supreme Court overturned Roe vs Wade
Abortion rights advocates celebrated as the Midwestern US state of Kansas voted to maintain the right to the procedure, the first major poll on the flashpoint issue since the Supreme Court overturned nationwide access in June.
Kansans rejected an amendment that would have scrapped language in the state constitution guaranteeing the right to the procedure and could have paved the way for stricter regulations or a ban.
The vote was widely seen as a test case for abortion rights nationwide, as Republican-dominated legislatures rush to impose strict bans on the procedure following the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe vs Wade.
Pro-abortion rights campaigners and supporters celebrated the win for their side of the hotly contested US debate.
“I’m just beside myself,” campaign volunteer Anne Melia said.
When polls closed at 7pm, Kansas Secretary of State Scott Schwab said turnout was as high as 50 per cent on this referendum, local media reported, a number usually expected for a general election.