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Where Trump Counties in Ohio Voted to Support Abortion Rights

Ohio’s referendum on abortion rights drew support from both liberal and conservative areas of the state and won outright in 18 counties that President Donald J. Trump won in 2020, signaling the issue remains a weakness for Republicans.

How Ohio counties voted on Issue 1

Yes, for abortion rights

No, against abortion rights

Cincinnati

Shaded areas are the 18 counties that both voted for Trump in 2020 and voted to approve the abortion rights amendment.

These 18 counties, a mix of urban, suburban and rural communities, joined the seven mostly urban counties that voted for Joseph R. Biden Jr. in 2020 to support a constitutional amendment to protect “reproductive decisions,” including abortions.

Across the state, the margin of support for abortion rights was stronger than the margin of support for Mr. Biden three years ago. Among the Trump counties that voted for the amendment, the abortion rights vote was stronger where Mr. Trump won by smaller margins.

Trump counties in Ohio that voted to support abortion rights

Since Roe v. Wade was overturned last year, Americans voting on abortion through ballot proposals have chosen to support abortion rights every time, even in red states.

Ohio joins California, Michigan and Vermont, which amended their constitutions to protect abortion rights in the midterm elections. But Ohio is the first Republican-run state where voters have chosen to enshrine the right in their Constitution, bucking the governor and many legislators who worked for months to defeat the effort.

In three other red states — Kansas, Kentucky and Montana — voters last year rejected ballot measures that were intended to limit abortion access.

Abortion on the ballot

Vermont Nov. 8, 2022

Constitutional right to reproductive freedom

California Nov. 8, 2022

Constitutional right to reproductive freedom

Kansas Aug. 2, 2022

Constitutional amendment to remove abortion rights protections

Michigan Nov. 8, 2022

Constitutional right to reproductive freedom

Ohio Nov. 7, 2023

Constitutional right to reproductive freedom

Montana Nov. 8, 2022

Medical care requirements for “infants born alive”

Kentucky Nov. 8, 2022

Constitutional amendment to remove abortion rights protections

Across these seven states, Biden counties have overwhelmingly and unsurprisingly voted in favor of abortion rights, while most Trump counties have not. But voters in dozens of the counties that Mr. Trump won have helped tip the scales in each of these elections, giving abortion rights advocates increasing hope that ballot measures are a winning strategy for protecting abortion access.

Trump and Biden counties voting for and against abortion rights

Chart shows the margin of victory for abortion rights in seven states, by county, compared with the 2020 presidential vote margin.

2020 vote margin

+75 pts.
In support

+75 pts.
Against

Abortion rights

Trump counties that voted to support abortion rights

18 counties
in Ohio

67 counties in
six other states

Notes: Circles are sized by vote count.

Maryland and New York will have proposals favoring abortion rights on their ballots in November 2024, and advocates in at least seven other states, including Arizona and Florida, are working on similar measures. Anti-abortion advocates in Iowa and Pennsylvania are working on proposals that would declare there is no constitutional right to abortion.

Ohio’s constitutional protection for abortion is expected to invalidate a pending ban on the procedure at about six weeks of pregnancy, preserving access in the state for residents, as well as those traveling from Midwestern and Southern states where abortion is banned.


Source: Elections - nytimes.com


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