Arizona Abortion Access Amendment Gains Momentum with Record Signature Submission

A proposed amendment to include abortion access in Arizona's constitution is nearer to making it onto the November ballot following the submission of essentially more than the needed number of credible signatures to state officials on Wednesday.

Arizona for Abortion Access Collected Signatures for Ballot Proposal

Arizona for Abortion Access, the leading group behind the effort, declared that they have collected signatures from over 823,000 registered voters - more than double the 384,000 needed to advance their proposal for the ballot. Organizers noted that this marks the largest number of signatures ever accumulated in Arizona for a citizen-led ballot initiative.

Chris Love, spokesperson for Arizona for Abortion Access, emphasized in an interview before the public announcement that the volume of signatures demonstrates the strength of their campaign.

"Since last September, we have been actively collecting signatures through both volunteer and paid efforts," Love stated. "This record-breaking number underscores the strong desire among Arizona voters to address abortion on the ballot and have their voices heard."

At a news conference later that Wednesday morning outside the State Capitol, hundreds of the nearly 7,000 volunteers involved in gathering signatures cheered as organizers revealed the total collected. Subsequently, these volunteers hand-delivered thousands of petitions to state officials at the Capitol complex.

Organizers mentioned that they had reached the required number of signatures months earlier, intentionally waiting until the Wednesday deadline to maximize their submission numbers. This strategy aimed to showcase their strength and prepare for potential challenges to a significant number of signatures by state officials.

Arizona Secretary of State Adrian Fontes, a Democrat, now has until August 27 to check and officially approve the signatures for addition on the November ballot.

Proposed Amendment Establishes Fundamental Right to Abortion

The proposed constitutional amendment looks to organize a "fundamental right" to abortion up until fetal growth. Beyond that point, the measure would prohibit the state from constraining abortion in cases where the health or life of the pregnant person is at risk, as decided by healthcare professionals.

The argument over the future of abortion rights has been specifically severe in Arizona, an important swing state, after the 2022 reversal of Roe v. Wade by the U.S. Supreme Court.

In April, Arizona's conservative-leaning Supreme Court brought back a near-total abortion ban dating back to 1864, prompting reaction both locally and nationally, including from some Republicans.

In answer, Arizona legislator passed legislation in May to cancel the ban, which was signed into law by Democratic Governor Katie Hobbs, effectively reassuring a 2022 law permitting abortion up to the 15th week of gestation, with exceptions only for life-threatening circumstances but none for rape or incest.

If accepted by voters in November, the proposed ballot measure would efficiently revoke the 15-week ban.

Presenting the abortion issue directly to voters could also potentially increase Democratic voter turnout in Arizona during the presidential election, as well as in key Senate and House races.

Constitutional amendments to solidify abortion rights are slated to appear on the general election ballots in six states this autumn - Colorado, Florida, Maryland, Nevada, New York, and South Dakota - with Arizona among five others (alongside Arkansas, Missouri, Montana, and Nebraska) where organizers are actively pushing for similar ballot measures.