Protestors in favor of abortion rights – Courtesy: Shutterstock – Image by Stephanie Kenner
Supporters of a proposed constitutional amendment to guarantee abortion rights are moving closer to gathering the necessary number of signatures, with just one month to go.
863,876 valid signatures on the petition for the proposition were shown on the Florida Division of Elections website on Friday. This number was higher than 833,743 one week prior and 753,306 two weeks prior. To get the proposal on the ballot in November 2024, the political committee Floridians Protecting Freedom, which is sponsoring the issue, must gather at least 891,523 valid signatures throughout the state and meet the requirements for signature gathering in at least half of the state’s congressional districts.
The committee has until February 1st to fulfill the requirements. The proposed ballot language must also be approved by the Florida Supreme Court. After the Republican-controlled Legislature and Governor Ron DeSantis enacted a measure that could outlaw abortions beyond six weeks of pregnancy, Floridians Protecting Freedom announced the project in May.
The six-week restriction is subject to the resolution of a legal dispute with DeSantis and lawmakers’ 2022 passage of a 15-week abortion ban. Attorney General Ashley Moody has claimed that the proposed constitutional amendment should not be allowed to be placed on the ballot because it would mislead voters, a claim that proponents of the measure contest.
The ballot summary of the proposal says, in part: “No law shall prohibit, penalize, delay, or restrict abortion before viability or when necessary to protect the patient’s health, as determined by the patient’s healthcare provider.”
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Born and raised in South Florida, Krystal is a recent graduate from the University of Miami with professional writing experience at the collegiate and national news outlet levels. She’s a foodie who loves all things travel, the beach, & visiting new places throughout Florida.