Vermont votes to enshrine abortion in constitution, news outlet projects

Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Nov 8, 2022 / 21:00 pm (CNA).

Vermont will be among the first states to enshrine abortion rights in its constitution, according to a local news outlet that reported a pro-abortion proposal in that state passed Tuesday.

VTDigger, which covers news in Vermont and is a project of The Vermont Journalism Trust, Ltd., announced that Article 22, also known as Proposal 5, passed in that state through a ballot initiative during the midterm elections.

“With more than 142,000 votes counted, ‘yes’ votes for Proposal 5 outnumbered ‘no’ votes by a margin of 72%-22%, according to a preliminary vote count released by the Secretary of State’s Office at 9:10 p.m. Tuesday,” the outlet reported. “Roughly 5% left the question blank.”

Following VTDigger’s conclusion, several other organizations considered the proposal passed, including the ACLU.

As of 10:15 p.m. EST, the New York Times reported 26% of votes counted, with 76.1% voting “yes” and 23.9% voting “no.”

Americans in five states voted on the issue of abortion during the 2022 midterm elections. Three states — California, Michigan, and Vermont — proposed constitutional amendments to advance abortion. At the same time, citizens in Kentucky were weighing a pro-life amendment and Montana voters were deciding a measure that promises to protect babies who are born alive after attempted abortions.

Ahead of Election Day, polling indicated strong support for the abortion measure in Vermont.

What is Article 22?

On Election Day, Vermont citizens voted on the constitutional amendment Article 22, or Proposal 5, which promotes abortion.

Its text reads: “That an individual’s right to personal reproductive autonomy is central to the liberty and dignity to determine one’s own life course and shall not be denied or infringed unless justified by a compelling State interest achieved by the least restrictive means.”

Abortion is legal in the state up until birth.

The Roman Catholic Diocese of Burlington, which includes the entire state of Vermont, republished an article in its diocesan bulletin warning that the amendment “promises to enshrine unlimited, unregulated abortion throughout all nine months of pregnancy in our state’s founding document” and “would permanently block any attempt to protect the unborn — even those who can survive outside the womb.”

Vermont Right to Life Committee urged citizens to vote no.

Led by pro-abortion groups, Vermont for Reproductive Liberty Ballot Committee argued instead that “we need this amendment because important medical decisions should be guided by a patient’s health and well-being, not by a politician’s beliefs.”

This is a developing story.