Washington, 6 November 2024 (dpa/MIA) - Measures enshrining abortion rights in state constitutions failed in Florida but passed in New York, Maryland, Arizona, Colorado and Missouri, US media reported on Tuesday.

Florida was the most closely watched state, as Republican candidate Donald Trump, who as president nominated the judges seen as responsible for overturning a woman's national right to abortion, won the state, according to projections.

Florida voters needed 60% of the vote to pass the measure, which would have allowed an abortion when "necessary to protect the patient's health, as determined by the patient's health-care provider." Supporters managed 57%, so the measure failed.

The vote was seen as a victory for Florida's Republican Governor Ron DeSantis, who had lobbied hard against it.

In Democratic Maryland and New York, the measures were expected pass.

In Maryland, 74% passed the measure, which establishes reproductive freedom rights, including "the ability to make and effectuate decisions to prevent, continue, or end one's own pregnancy." That figure was with 55% of the votes counted, according to NBC News, but the measure is expected to pass with ease.

In New York, the network reported that some 70.3% of the vote was in favour of the measure which states that people cannot be denied rights based on "ethnicity, national origin, age, and disability" or "sex, including sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, pregnancy, pregnancy outcomes, and reproductive health care and autonomy."

The south-western state of Arizona, which has been a stronghold of traditional Republican voters, passed a ballot initiative 62.9% to 37.1% guaranteeing the fundamental right to an abortion, broadcaster NBC reported.

The measure - one of the most wide-reaching ones of the nine states with referendums or measures on the issue - would allow for an abortion up to "foetal viability." This is generally considered up to 24 weeks of pregnancy.

The right to abortion was also passed in Colorado by 61.5% to 38.5% according to CNN and NBC. NBC reported that a similar meaure passed in Missouri by 51.8% to 48.2%

"Right to Abortion" measures were also on the ballot in Montana and Nebraska, which also has a competing abortion prohibition measure on the ballot, and South Dakota.

Democratic candidate Kamala Harris made reproductive health and abortion rights a cornerstone of her campaign.

Photo: dpa