Kansas Abortion Ballot Measure Set For Longshot Recount—But Only In Nine Counties

Topline

9 Kansas counties will recount votes this week for the state’s poll measure on abortion rights, a longshot effort after the measure failed in a landslide vote—which is wanting the statewide recount that anti-abortion advocates had needed, as they couldn’t put up sufficient cash to fund recounts in each county.

A supporter of the Vote Sure to a Constitutional Modification on Abortion holds up an indication alongside one hundred and thirty fifth … [+] Avenue on August 1 in Olathe, Kansas.

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Key Information

Kansas voters overwhelmingly shot down the “Worth Them Each” poll measure on August 2, which might have amended the state’s Structure to say it doesn’t defend abortion rights and would have given lawmakers license to limit or ban abortion.

Kansas resident Melissa Leavitt had requested a recount on Friday, however whereas anti-abortion activist Mark Geitzen had supplied to fund the hassle, they had been solely in a position to put up $120,000 of the $230,000 that might have been wanted to recount all ballots statewide, the Related Press reports.

Kansas voters can request recounts on poll measures, however they’ve to indicate they will pay for it if it doesn’t truly change the outcomes, with the whole value being depending on what number of counties recount ballots.

Geitzen had informed the Star he would do “no matter it takes” to fund the recount, however the state wouldn’t let him pay for it by placing up belongings like his home as collateral, and demanded he and Leavitt pay a full $230,000 bond by Monday night for the recount to happen statewide.

Since solely a partial quantity was paid, solely 9 of the state’s 105 counties will recount ballots: Johnson, Sedgwick, Shawnee, Douglas, Crawford, Harvey, Jefferson, Lyon, and Thomas counties (solely Thomas County voted in favor of the abortion modification, whereas the remaining voted towards it).

The 9 counties will cowl greater than half of the votes that had been solid within the poll measure race, in keeping with the AP—because it contains main cities like Wichita and Topeka and the Kansas Metropolis suburbs—and counties should end recounting ballots by Saturday.

Massive Quantity

165,389. That’s what number of votes the poll measure was defeated by, according to the Kansas Secretary of State’s workplace, as 59% of voters had been towards the constitutional modification and 41% had been in favor. Leavitt, a self described “advocate for election integrity,” alleged on the recount’s fundraising web page she has “seen knowledge” suggesting there are “irregularities” within the vote totals, however has not elaborated on that declare, and there’s no proof of widespread fraud within the Kansas election supporting her allegations.

Contra

The recount effort isn’t supported by the Worth Them Each Coalition, which led the marketing campaign to cross the constitutional modification. “Each citizen has the correct to request recounts, however our focus is now on transferring the reason for life ahead in Kansas—not wanting again to August 2nd,” a spokesperson told Fox 4.

Shocking Reality

The recount would be the first on a statewide poll measure in Kansas in 30 years, Kansas state elections director Bryan Caskey told the AP after the recount was first requested.

Key Background

The Kansas poll measure vote marked the primary main check of voters’ sentiments on abortion rights following the Supreme Courtroom overturning Roe v. Wade on June 24. Kansas is one among an increasingly few majority-Republican states the place abortion stays authorized, because the Kansas Supreme Courtroom has beforehand upheld protections for the process, protecting lawmakers from passing any new bans. If the constitutional modification had handed, it could have nullified that courtroom ruling and paved the best way for brand new restrictions. The poll measure’s landslide failure—a shock end result, after polls projected the modification would narrowly succeed—has been viewed as an indication of voters’ overwhelming help for abortion rights and aversion to abortion bans, even in states the place the GOP dominates. The Kansas election may very well be a harbinger of votes to come back, as extra abortion-related poll measures and races that would form state and federal abortion insurance policies can be on ballots throughout the nation in November.