Advocates in Florida are seeking to put abortion rights on the 2024 general election ballot following the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade last summer. 

More than 200 organizations have joined a campaign backing an amendment to the state constitution to "limit government interference with abortion" as the state’s 15 week abortion ban is challenged in court. 

What You Need To Know

  •  Abortion rights advocates are trying to collect enough signatures to put abortion rights on the ballot in Florida next year 

  •  About 892,000 signatures are needed 

  •  So far organizers say nearly 300,000 signatures have been collected 

The proposed amendment reads: "Limiting government interference with abortion.— Except as provided in Article X, Section 22, no law shall prohibit, penalize, delay, or restrict abortion before viability or when necessary to protect the patient’s health, as determined by the patient’s healthcare provider."

"We know that this ballot initiative is the way to make sure that Floridians have their voice heard, instead of having to rely on politicians to make incredibly, incredibly poor choices about how they should be able to access health care," Floridians Protecting Freedom Campaign Director Lauren Brenzel said. 

The Florida Conference of Catholic Bishops opposes the ballot initiative and is urging voters not to sign the petition. 

If the current 15-week abortion ban is upheld by the Florida Supreme Court, a 6-week ban will go into effect instead. 

George Washington University professor Todd Belt says voters typically come out in support of abortion rights when the question is put on a ballot. 

Last year, voters in Michigan approved the right to an abortion in its state constitution during an election year. 

"In Michigan, this was used to really drive turnout in the midterm elections," Belt said. "And that's what Democrats are looking to do in Florida this time around."

Next year will be a presidential election year, which typically have the highest profile and see the largest numbers of voter participation. 

Belt said if the abortion rights amendment is placed on the ballot in Florida, it could bring out more single-issue voters and independents, potentially putting some conservative members of Congress in jeopardy. 

"We've got a Senate race and, of course, we've got some House races and these can definitely be impacted," Belt said. "If you're bringing out a number of voters who don't usually vote, that can be really detrimental for somebody who's an incumbent."

Despite Republicans having a voter registration advantage over Democrats in Florida, Brenzel argued abortion rights are a “nonpartisan issue.”

"We have seen initiatives that are focused on maintaining access to abortion paths in states like Michigan and Kentucky and Kansas," she said. "Continually, when you put this issue to the voters, they vote to remove politicians from these medical decisions."

Feb. 1 is the deadline for the petitions to be collected in Florida.