The act of collecting signatures for a petition to add abortion rights to the Florida constitution has met the required number and has been declared eligible for the 2024 ballot, according to officials in Orlando, Florida.

The Florida Division of Elections has confirmed over 911,000 signatures, exceeding the state’s requirement of 891,500 petition signatures needed for a ballot initiative to be presented to voters.

If the proposal is approved for the autumn election, residents of the third-largest state in the US may have the opportunity to vote on the level of abortion rights or limitations, following the Supreme Court’s overturning of Roe v. Wade in 2022.

After the Dobbs decision overturned the 1973 case that granted constitutional protections for abortion in the United States, voters in seven states have either approved measures to protect abortion rights or rejected measures that sought to restrict access. Constitutional amendments are set to appear on the ballots in Maryland and New York in 2024 to safeguard access to abortion.

According to Nikki Fried, chair of the Florida Democratic Party, if reproductive rights are put to a vote in 2024, the outcome will likely be the same as in other states after the Dobbs decision. Florida voters will opt to maintain their autonomy over healthcare choices and keep the government out of it.

The suggested change would permit abortions to remain lawful in Florida until the unborn baby is able to survive outside of the womb, as evaluated by the patient’s healthcare professional. If the change is included on the voting ballot, it will require a minimum of 60% of voters’ support to be enacted.

Ashley Moody, the Attorney General of Florida, states that supporters and opponents of abortion have conflicting understandings of the term “viability”. She believes that these discrepancies, coupled with the lack of clear definitions for “health” and “health-care provider”, could mislead voters and potentially raise legal issues in the future.

As a result of this, the Republican attorney general has requested that the state Supreme Court prevent the proposed measure from being included on the ballot. They argue that proponents are actively fighting to defend the procedure and may seek to broaden these rights in the future.

On February 7th, the court will consider arguments regarding the approval of the ballot language.

A legislation passed by Florida Governor Ron DeSantis last year, prohibiting abortion after 15 weeks, is currently facing legal opposition.

If the legal system approves the legislation, which was approved by DeSantis and involved the appointment of five out of seven Supreme Court justices, a bill that was signed by DeSantis this year will prohibit abortion after six weeks, a time frame where many women may not realize they are pregnant. As a presidential candidate, DeSantis has stated his support for a nationwide ban on abortion after 15 weeks.

Any change in abortion access in Florida will be felt out of state as well because the Sunshine State traditionally has been a haven for women in the southeastern U.S. seeking abortions. There are bans on abortion at all stages of pregnancy in nearby Alabama, Louisiana and Mississippi and a ban on terminating pregnancies in Georgia after cardiac activity can be detected.