Florida voters reject abortion rights initiative, upholding six-week ban

Florida voters have rejected a ballot initiative that aimed to establish a constitutional right to abortion, maintaining the state's six-week abortion ban. The amendment would have allowed abortions before viability, around week 22, and after in certain health cases. The six-week ban, signed into law by Governor Ron DeSantis in 2023, permits abortions up to week 15 in cases of rape, incest, and human trafficking. The Florida Supreme Court upheld this law in April 2024, affirming the state's authority to regulate abortion. The failed amendment faced criticism for its language, which opponents claimed misrepresented its implications. Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody previously challenged the initiative, but the state Supreme Court allowed it on the ballot.