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Arizona, Nebraska abortion ballot initiatives to advance
By Mike Heuer,
6 hours ago
July 3 (UPI) -- Pro-abortion organizers have gathered sufficient numbers of valid signatures to advance ballot initiatives in Arizona and Nebraska.
Protesters argue over abortion rights in front of the U.S. Supreme Court on the first anniversary of the court's ruling in the Dobbs v. Women's Health Organization case, which overturned Roe v. Wade and returned the matter to respective states. File Photo by Annabelle Gordon/UPI
Supporters of the proposed Arizona Abortion Access Act announced they gathered 823,685 signatures with several weeks remaining before the state's Aug. 22 deadline to submit ballot petitions.
"We will be turning in the most signatures ever collected by a citizen-led effort here in the state of Arizona," Arizona for Abortion Access spokesperson Dawn Penich told local media Wednesday.
The number of signatures are significantly more than the 383,923 valid signatures required to qualify for Arizona's Nov. 5 election ballot.
The additional signatures virtually ensure the ballot initiative has a sufficient number of valid signatures to place the measure on the ballot.
The number also represents about 20% of Arizona's registered voters and shows strong support for legalizing abortion among state voters.
Nebraska's Protect Our Rights pro-abortion group also announced it has collected more than enough valid signatures to advance its ballot initiative to the Nov. 5 ballot in that state.
Protect Our Rights organizers said they collected more than 207,000 signatures for registered voters in Nebraska, which is well above the 123,000 needed to place a proposed amendment on the ballot.
"We were united in the belief that patients and providers should have the freedom to make their own health care decisions, not politicians," Protect Our Rights executive committee member Ashlei Spivey told reporters Wednesday.
The total number of signatures includes at least 5% of registered voters in 38 of Nebraska's 93 counties, which state law requires for including on the general election ballot.
Protect Our Rights organizers include the American Civil Liberties Union of Nebraska and Planned Parenthood North Central States.
The proposed measure would amend the Nebraska Constitution to make abortion legal until fetal viability is reached during about the 24th week of pregnancy.
Exceptions would be made when a woman's life and health might be at risk due to her pregnancy.
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