Arizona voters will have the opportunity to vote in November on whether to add the right to an abortion to the state constitution.
The Arizona secretary of state’s office announced on Monday that they had certified 577,971 signatures, well above the required number for the ballot measure to proceed to voters.
Arizona for Abortion Access, the coalition supporting the initiative, celebrated the milestone, noting it as the most signatures ever validated for a citizens initiative in the state.
“This is a significant victory for Arizona voters who will now have the chance to vote YES on restoring and safeguarding the right to access abortion care without political interference,” said campaign manager Cheryl Bruce in a statement.
Abortion rights have become a focal point for Democrats after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022, influencing their strategy for this year’s elections.
In addition to Arizona, similar abortion rights initiatives will be on the ballot in Colorado, Florida, Maryland, Nevada, New York, and South Dakota.
Currently, Arizona law prohibits abortions after 15 weeks with exceptions for medical emergencies, parental consent for minors, and an ultrasound requirement before the procedure.
The proposed amendment would allow abortions up to around 24 weeks, with exceptions to protect the mother’s health or life, and would prevent the state from enacting laws that restrict access to abortion.
The initiative organizers initially submitted over 800,000 signatures, well surpassing the required number.
Opponents argue that the amendment goes too far and could lead to unregulated abortions in the state.
Supporters believe that a constitutional amendment safeguards abortion rights from being easily overturned.
Earlier in the year, the Arizona Supreme Court upheld an 1864 abortion ban that only allowed abortions to save the mother’s life, but the ban was repealed by the Republican-controlled Legislature and signed by Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs.
The old law had been blocked following the Supreme Court’s decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, which removed constitutional protections for abortion.