Marylanders voted to enshrine reproductive freedom into the state constitution Tuesday. Photo by Danielle J. Brown.
Maryland voters appeared to overwhelmingly affirm their support for reproductive rights Tuesday, with early returns showing almost 74% of Marylanders voted to enshrine the right to an abortion and other reproductive freedoms into the Maryland Constitution.
“Maryland voters have rightly chosen to protect their health and their futures. The strong protection of reproductive rights that has existed for decades in Maryland law is now ironclad, enshrined in the state constitution,” said Erin Bradley, chair of Freedom in Reproduction-Maryland (FIRM), in a written statement. “Voters have guaranteed reproductive certainty amid uncertain times.”
With 61% of the votes counted just hours after the polls closed, Question 1 held an insurmountable lead of 1.4 million votes for to just over 500,000 against.
Question 1 will amend the state constitution to protect “an individual’s fundamental right to reproductive freedom, including but not limited to the ability to make and effectuate decisions to prevent, continue or end the individual’s pregnancy.” The amendment also states that the “State may not, directly or indirectly, deny, burden or abridge the right unless justified by a compelling state interest achieved by the least restrictive means.”