RESULTS: Kentucky voters reject an anti-abortion constitutional amendment

• Kentucky voted against a ballot measure that would deny abortion rights.
• Amendment 2 would have changed the constitution to clarify that the right to abortion does not exist.

Voters in Kentucky rejected a proposal to deny abortion rights in the state's constitution.

A "yes" on Amendment 2 would have added language to the state constitution clarifying that the right to an abortion is not protected under the state constitution.

Polls closed in the state at 6 p.m. local time. Given the state has multiple timezones, the first polls closed at 6 p.m. EST and the last polls closed at 7 p.m. EST.

Ballot measure details

Kentucky had tried to pass a constitutional amendment that would make clear that abortion is not a protected procedure.

If passed, Amendment 2 would have added the line "to protect human life, nothing in this Constitution shall be construed to secure or protect a right to abortion or require the funding of abortion" to the state constitution. The state legislature voted to put Amendment 2 on the ballot in 2021.

Abortion is banned in Kentucky, except in cases of endangerment to life, after legislators enacted a trigger law following the Supreme Court's June 24 ruling overturning abortion rights.

Currently, there are three lawsuits challenging abortion law in Kentucky, all of which assert that the state's constitution provides a right to abortion. If Amendment 2 had passed, it would have curtailed this argument in these lawsuits, which are set to be heard in the Kentucky Supreme Court soon.

Alabama, Louisiana, Tennessee, and West Virginia have passed amendments over the past decade that clarify that the constitution does not provide a right to abortion.

Support and opposition

Yes for Life Kentucky led the campaign in support of Amendment 2. Other supporters include religious groups like the Catholic Conference of Kentucky and state Republicans.

Those in support argue that the amendment is necessary to remove future legal challenges to the state's abortion law.

Protect Kentucky Access led the campaign against Amendment 2. Opponents include Planned Parenthood, the American Civil Liberties Union, and the Human Rights Campaign PAC.

Those opposed say the amendment will make it harder to pass abortion-rights legislation in the state or argue that a person's right to abortion is protected.

Voters rejected a similar measure in Kansas in August.