(Bloomberg Government) -- Kansas voters refused Tuesday to change the state Constitution to declare there’s no right to an abortion.
Voter turnout was high for the first referendum on abortion since the US Supreme Court said each state can set its own policy.
With 84% of the vote counted, returns showed that 62% voted to keep intact a 2019 Kansas Supreme Court decision that granted abortion rights under the state Constitution.
That means courts will retain the grounds to invalidate any abortion ban that the Republican-dominated Legislature might advance.
“This is a political earthquake,” national Democratic strategist Paul Begala said on Twitter.
Since the vote was put on a primary election ballot, those working to drive turnout had to inform those unaffiliated with either political party that there was a reason to turn out.
Combined, the organizations trying to sway votes for and against the amendment spent nearly $13 million on TV commercials, according to data compiled by AdImpact.
The state, which allows terminations up to 22 weeks, has been long been a destination for abortion seekers coming from places with more restrictive laws. In 2019, nearly half of all those who received abortion care in the state were out-of-state residents, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
In the weeks since the US Supreme Court decision overturning Roe v. Wade, nearby states like Texas, Missouri and Arkansas have implemented total bans, driving up wait times as more patients seek care in Kansas.
Kansas was the first of five states with votes on abortion-related ballot measures this year. Voters will weigh in on abortion rights in California, Kentucky, Montana and Vermont in November.
With assistance from Kelsey Butler
To contact the reporter on this story: Alex Ebert in Madison, Wisconsin at aebert@bloomberglaw.com
To contact the editor responsible for this story: Katherine Rizzo at krizzo@bgov.com
(Updates with advertising total in the seventh paragraph.)
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Author: Alex Ebert