Amendment 4 on abortion is a key issue for Florida voters in the 2024 election

A Change in abortion law is a key issue on Florida voters' ballot in the 2024 election.

voters in the state are being asked to say “yes” or “no” to Amendment 4, which aims to enshrine abortion rights in the state constitution and could repeal Florida's six-week abortion ban – one of the strictest abortion laws in the country – if it passes. The current ban was enacted in May, nearly two years after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled on Roe v. Wade had picked up.

Amendment 4 is one of them six ballot measures Proposing changes to the Florida Constitution.

What is Amendment 4?

Amendment 4, entitled “Amendment to Limit Government Interference in Abortion,” states that “No law shall prohibit, penalize, delay, or restrict an abortion before it is practicable or when it is necessary to protect the health of the patient, as provided by The patient’s healthcare provider is determined.”

The change would not affect a current constitutional provision that allows for a law requiring parental notification before a minor can have an abortion.

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and the Florida Republican Party have urged voters to reject Amendment 4. Many opponents of the amendment have argued that the measure's wording is “too extreme” and vague about the definition of “feasibility,” allowing late-term abortions and putting pregnant patients at risk.

Supporters said it would restore the protections created by repealing Roe v. Wade were lost. They argued that this would help put reproductive health care back in the hands of Florida patients and their doctors, and said politicians should not be allowed to interfere in personal health decisions or exclude medical professionals from treating patients to deter.

On June 24, 2022, the Supreme Court issued its landmark decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization, which effectively overturned Roe v. Wade and left abortion policy up to the states. Since then, more than a dozen states have passed laws almost complete bans on abortionwhile in other states it is severely restricted. The prohibitions include Florida law is considered one of the strictest.

The Republican-controlled state legislature and DeSantis approved the state's six-week ban last year, building on a 2022 law that banned abortions after 15 weeks. The Florida Supreme Court upheld the 2022 law, clearing the way for the six-week limit to take effect.

Florida's ban on most abortions after six weeks of pregnancy – before many women know they are pregnant – took effect in May, nearly two years after the Supreme Court's decision.

Since May, many Floridians have been arguing over whether to restore abortion access in the state by proposing an amendment to the state constitution.