The citizens of the state of Florida will go on November 5 to vote in the United States electionswhere Republican Donald Trump and Democrat Kamala Harris, They will define hand in hand who will govern for the next four years. However, that same day, in the dark room, they must also decide on a hot topic: whether or not to approve a referendum about him abortion.
“Have you heard of Amendment 4?” is what dozens of activists ask in front of a concert hall in Orlando, Floridawhile they redouble efforts to mobilize voters in the face of an important referendum about the restrictions to the abortion in his state, called for the same day as the US presidential elections in November.
Pro-abortion activists and those against the initiative are working tirelessly to convince young people and adults, almost two weeks before citizens go to the polls to decide the fate of the reform.
Elections in the US: what the Florida referendum says and how many votes it requires for its approval
With the referendum in question, Voters will have the chance to restore full access to abortion for millions of women up to fetal viability (around 22 weeks of pregnancy) in Florida, southeast USA. Since May, with exceptions, it is no longer possible to abort in the state beyond six weeks of pregnancy, that is, before many women know they are pregnant.
To be adopted, amendment 4 must obtain 60% affirmative votesthe highest threshold of the 10 states that will hold abortion referendums on November 5. If adopted, the amendment will take effect in January 2025.
were collected more than a million signatures to include the amendment to the state Constitution on the presidential ballots in Florida. Since April, when the inclusion of the referendum about him abortion In the elections, some 6,000 volunteers have participated in the campaign and 30 million dollars have been raised, he says Nora Viñas, communications director of Floridians Protecting Freedomthe organization behind that initiative.
Some of the money is being used to fund posters, stickers and television advertisements. “We have reached 1.4 million voters” by telephone, in person or by mail, she says enthusiastically. But “this vote is going to be incredibly close” and “everything can change by a percentage point,” he says.
The battle over Florida’s abortion referendum
Pro-abortion activists are trying to convince people to vote in favor of the text. In Orlando, They go on a Sunday in front of the room where, in a few hours, a Charli XCX concert, one of the stars of the moment, takes place.
The objective is to get “those who do not usually vote, that is, young people” however pro-abortion, go to the polls this time, explains Matthew Grocholske, responsible for the “Yes on 4” campaign in this county. This man, who took a year off to participate in this campaign, distributes pearl bracelets with messages in favor of the amendment.
One of the women listening to the activists is Gigi Forbriger, 25 years old. “I had an abortion in the past and that saved my life,” she explains this kindergarten teacher. “I was in a toxic relationship, and if I had had the baby, I would be in a horrible situation today.” “Then I lived in Florida, but I could choose. And it was more than six weeks away,” he adds, stating that he is “very afraid” of the consequences of the current restrictions.
On the other side, anti-abortion activists are also very active. He Florida Governor, Republican Ron DeSantis, who enacted the six-week limit, opposes the amendment. “I think Florida has been one of the most dynamic states” in the fight against these referendums, declares Frank Pavone, director of the organization Priests for life.
According to this priest, The wording of the amendment is too vague: it includes “notification to parents” of a minor and specifies that a decision can be made to abort after six weeks “to protect the health of the patient.” In their opinion, this leaves the door open to late-term abortions without parental consent.
Another argument put forward by Pavone is that, since Florida is surrounded by very restrictive states like Alabama and Georgia“people will come from there en masse to have an abortion.”
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Abortion, one of the key issues of the presidential campaign of Donald Trump and Kamala Harris
Cheyenne Drews would be happy for her part if Florida became a shelter for women seeking abortions. This 28-year-old woman leads a door-to-door campaign in an affluent Orlando neighborhood. ‘All eyes are on Florida,’ says Drews to the dozen volunteers present despite the rain. “From now on, every day is like election day!”
He abortion is at the center of the duel between donald trump and Kamala Harris, who campaigns for the restoration of the federal right to voluntary termination of pregnancy. The Republican candidate, who lives in Florida, said he would vote “no” on the amendment, although he considered a six-week deadline to be too short.
But on the ground, activists know they need to convince more than just the Democratic side if they want to win. “It’s a non-partisan issue.”says volunteer Sara Swisher, between conversations with voters.
“There are people who are going to vote for Trump, but who will vote ‘yes’ to the amendment,” he says she is thirty years old. “Many Floridians understand that this is a health issue.”
Source: Ambito
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