Florida voters reject abortion rights amendment, maintaining six-week ban

Florida voters rejected a proposed amendment to the state constitution that aimed to protect abortion access. The measure, which sought to overturn existing six- and fourteen-week bans, did not meet the required 60 percent approval threshold. Preliminary results show nearly 6 million voters supported the amendment, while 4.4 million opposed it. The failure of the amendment is seen as a setback for abortion rights advocates and a win for anti-abortion groups, including Governor Ron DeSantis. Abortion remains heavily restricted in Florida and surrounding southern states. Many states have enacted similar bans, creating significant barriers to abortion access in the region.