Ohio votes to include abortion rights in state constitution

Voters in Ohio were asked to vote for or against including the right to abortion in their state’s Constitution. They voted in favor, at 55%. US President Joe Biden publicly rejoiced on the social network X, formerly Twitter. “Across the country tonight, democracy won and MAGA lost.”he writes.

Voluntary termination of pregnancy is at the center of a cultural and political battle in the United States, since the Supreme Court’s decision in 2022 to challenge the right to abortion at the national level. This vote was a test, less than a year before the American presidential election. Ohio is a state that can swing one way or the other. He placed Donald Trump in the lead in 2016 and 2020.

The victory of the progressive camp on abortion therefore gives hope to the Democrats. Joe Biden’s party can also welcome another vote which took place on the night of November 7 to 8. The state of Kentucky remains in the Democratic camp since the outgoing governor was re-elected. However, he had specifically campaigned on the right to abortion. This theme mobilizes the crowds. With high participation rates and costly political campaigns, it reflects the great polarization at work in American democracy.

A small victory for Joe Biden

This victory is a sham since certainly the supporters of the right to abortion won, but at 55%, it is not a tidal wave either. Throughout the country, the opposing camp also places its pawns. The new president of the House of Representatives, the equivalent of the National Assembly, Mike Johnson, is a fierce opponent of abortion.

This Republican, evangelical Christian, illustrates the radicalization of part of the conservatives around Donald Trump. The former president also plans to run again and is ahead of Joe Biden in all the latest polls.