Democrats hope to emulate Ohio ballot-measure plan to protect abortion rights

Democrats and abortion rights supporters show enthusiasm for ballot initiatives - but organizers are already meeting interference

In the days since Ohio voters overwhelmingly backed a ballot measure to enshrine abortion access in the state constitution, abortion rights supporters and Democrats across the country have become enthralled with the idea of using such measures to protect access to the procedure.

Not only are ballot measures often the best chance states have of restoring or protecting abortion rights, but they have proved to be a shot in the arm for Democratic and Republican voters alike. Ballot measures in states such as Kansas and Ohio, once considered conservative strongholds, have won by overwhelming margins - and won in areas that Joe Biden lost in 2020.