Amendment 4 in Florida, which sought to protect abortion rights up to the point of fetal viability, was placed on the November 2024 ballot. If passed, the amendment would have added protections to the state constitution to limit government interference in abortion access before viability or in cases where the patient’s health is at risk. However, Amendment 4 did not pass as it failed to reach the required 60% supermajority needed for constitutional amendments in Florida.
The amendment faced significant opposition from anti-abortion groups and political figures, including Governor Ron DeSantis. These opponents argued that the measure would override Florida’s existing six-week abortion ban, which had already faced legal challenges. This led to a politically charged campaign environment, with high-profile advocates and lawsuits on both sides of the issue.
Despite substantial funding and advocacy for the measure, the Florida electorate ultimately did not grant it the necessary support for enactment.
We will update when all ballots are counted, but it would appear the measure failed by only garnering 57% of the 60% needed. It does however send a message to legislators that the majority are not happy with the very restrictive laws, which give little room to have an abortion even for the health of the mother.
