Democrats are hoping that initiatives to enshrine abortion rights in several states will help them galvanize voters and lead them to an electoral victory. They have reasons to feel this way, as abortion rights have proven to be a winning issue, never having lost when put on the ballot.
Florida is among the states that will become a battleground, as the state Supreme Court recently approved both a six-week abortion ban (a time when most women don't know whether they are pregnant) and a motion to vote on expanding rights in November.
The proposed constitutional amendment would grant access to the procedure up to the point of fetal viability, usually around 24 weeks of pregnancy, or when considered necessary by a physician.
The initiative would need 60% of the vote to pass, and so far projections are tight. According to the Miami Herald, "one recent poll found that more than half of all Floridians would back" it, while "another poll showed that roughly half would support it."
For Latinos in the state, however, the figures are lower than the overall population. A USA Today/Ipsos poll from this month showed that a little over a third of the demographic would vote in favor of it (34%), while 42% said they were not in favor of legalizing abortion. Figures for White and Black Floridians were much higher, 67% and 57%, respectively.
Another survey from Boston's Emerson College also showed that 39% would vote in favor of the rights and 25% would oppose it. An additional 36% said they were undecided.
The figures show a start contrast with Latinos' views at a national level as well, as, according to a 2022 survey by Pew Research Center, the majority of Latinos believe abortion should be legal in all or most cases, though there are differences based on party, religious identity, and dominant language.
Another poll by Axios-Ipsos showed that 68% of U.S. Latinos oppose abortion bans, and more prefer president Joe Biden on the issue (30%) compared to presumptive Republican candidate Donald Trump (21%).
There are a total of eleven states that are likely to take abortion rights measures on the ballot in November: Florida, Maryland and New York are confirmed, while Arizona, Montana, South Dakota, Nebraska, Colorado, Nevada, Missouri and Arkansas are still moving towards this.
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