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Ohio votes to add abortion rights to state constitution

Early results show almost 56% of voters in the conservative-leaning state backed it, marking a major victory for pro-choice campaigners.

Voters in the US state of Ohio have approved an amendment to the state's constitution which would guarantee the right to abortion there.

It marks a major victory for pro-choice campaigners in the state, now the seventh state to back the right to abortion, following the Supreme Court's decision last year to remove it nationally.

Ohio's measure, known as Issue 1, was widely seen as the toughest fight so far for abortion rights supporters as it was the first Republican-led state to consider changing its constitution to explicitly guarantee the right.

The amendment includes protections for abortion access and will establish an individual right to one's own reproductive medical treatment, including on abortion, contraception and miscarriage care.

Karen Kasler, bureau chief for the Ohio Statehouse News told Newsday this could "potentially not be over" as there may be an appeal.

(Photo: Supporters cheer following the announcement of the projected passage of Issue 1, a state constitutional right to abortion, in Columbus, Ohio, U.S. November 7, 2023. Credit: Reuters)

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