Results: See vote totals from Kansas election over abortion rights in state constitution
Editor’s note: The election results graphics on this page will be continuously updating as votes across the state are counted. Check back here throughout the night to see the latest.
Kansas Constitutional Amendment
The Kansas state constitution currently protects the right to abortion, but this primary election asked voters to decide on an amendment that would get rid of those protections.
If Kansans vote yes on the ballot and the amendment passes, the Legislature will have the opportunity to impose new restrictions on abortion, which could include banning the procedure. A ban would not go in place immediately, but legislators would be able to pass one. Earlier this year, a state legislator introduced a bill that would have banned and criminalized nearly all abortions, but it never got a hearing and died once the legislative session closed in May.
If Kansans vote no and the amendment does not pass, the Legislature would continue to be barred from passing most legislation that impedes an individual’s access to abortion. Any new abortion restrictions would need to clear an extremely high level of “strict scrutiny” from the court to become law. Current abortion restrictions could be challenged in court, but any actual changes to the current restrictions would depend on Kansas courts ruling that the regulation in question violates the state’s constitution.
All registered voters could participate in the vote, regardless of party affiliation.
The Eagle answered the most common reader questions we received about the abortion amendment here.
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This story was originally published August 2, 2022 at 7:00 PM.