Florida fails to lift six-week abortion ban | US News

An attempt to repeal Florida's six-week abortion ban and enshrine women's reproductive rights in the state's constitution has failed, NBC News predicts.

The proposal, known as Amendment 4, sought to allow abortions in Florida until fetal viability (typically around 24 weeks of pregnancy).

It's not the only state where abortion is explicitly on the ballot. Sky's partner organization NBC News understands that Colorado, New York, Nevada, Missouri, Arizona and Maryland have all voted in favor of improved access to medical procedures.

Under a law signed by Gov. Ron DeSantis, abortions in Florida are banned after six weeks of pregnancy – before many women even realize they are pregnant.

Although the amendment received majority support, it did not reach the required 60 percent threshold to become state law.

It's a setback for reproductive rights groups and a victory for the Republican governor, who fought fiercely against the initiative.

DeSantis has been criticized for using federal funds to produce anti-Amendment 4 advertisements. His administration also sent letters threatening state television stations with criminal charges if they aired political advertisements supporting this amendment.

Taxpayer money should not normally be used for overt campaigning or political purposes, but courts did not step in to stop state authorities from looking into the matter.

It became one of the hardest-fought battles of the 2024 election cycle as Florida's status as a battleground state faded and the country voted for the election Donald Trump for a second term.

With 97% of the votes counted, he is Florida is predicted to winThe 30 electoral college votes.

US election live: Battleground states too early to call

And even though the vote failed, an NBC News exit poll found that 64% of Florida voters said abortion should be legal in all or most cases.

Another amendment that would have legalized recreational marijuana use in Florida also failed, NBC News predicts.