The historically conservative state of Kansas just voted to preserve the right to an abortion.
In June, the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, the landmark 1973 decision that affirmed abortion access as a constitutionally protected right. Within just two weeks of the ruling, more than a dozen states banned abortions in all or most cases, or set bans to take effect within coming days or months, Politico reported. More than half a dozen other states have abortion bans waiting in the wings, pending legal action.
On Tuesday, August 2, Kansans voted to protect the right to an abortion opposing an amendment to the state’s constitution that would have removed abortion’s status as a protected right and allowed legislators to ban or severely restrict the procedure. This is the first time Americans have weighed in on abortion rights via the democratic process since Roe was overturned.
“The voters in Kansas have spoken loud and clear: We will not tolerate extreme bans on abortion,” said Rachel Sweet, the campaign manager for Kansans for Constitutional Freedom, per
The vote surprised many Americans. Not only did Kansas, a red state, vote for Donald Trump in 2020, but the turnout at the polls was unprecedented for an August election, according to the Kansas City Star. “The number of votes cast in this election was more than double those cast in the 2018 primary,” the paper reported.
Among activists, politicians, and journalists, the reaction on Twitter was shock and joy. Many noted, however, that it wasn’t a fluke—the result is owed to the hard, grueling work of abortion activists. “I’m grateful down to my toes for everyone who helped stop this dangerous ballot measure in its tracks,” tweeted Senator Elizabeth Warren.
Here are more of the jubilant reactions.
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Two weeks after the Supreme Court vote, President Biden issued an executive order to protect abortion rights. “President Biden has made clear that the only way to secure a woman’s right to choose is for Congress to restore the protections of Roe as federal law,” the White House said in a statement on July 8. “Until then, he has committed to doing everything in his power to defend reproductive rights and protect access to safe and legal abortion.”
Following the result in Kansas, Biden tweeted that the win was “an important victory for Kansas, but also for every American who believes that women should be able to make their own health decisions without government interference.”
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