Maryland voters have overwhelmingly elected to enshrine reproductive rights into the state Constitution.
The referendum was approved in 22 out of 23 Maryland counties and Baltimore City. Only voters in Garrett County, the state’s westernmost county, rejected the measure.
Billed as a “Declaration of Rights” on the ballot, the referendum establishes reproductive freedom as a “fundamental right” for Marylanders, including a mother’s right to prevent, continue, or end a pregnancy.
“The state many not, directly or indirectly, deny, burden, or abridge the right unless justified by a compelling state interest achieved by the least-restrictive means,” according to the text of the amendment.
The results mean that the state will now add the text to its Declaration of Rights as Article No. 48. Maryland voters haven’t added to the Declaration of Rights since 1994.
According to the Maryland State Board of Elections, 74.11 percent of people voted for the Constitutional Amendment, and 25.89 percent were against it.
On the Lower Eastern Shore, support for the amendment came from 61 percent of Worcester County voters (23,923 to 14,499) and 62 percent of Wicomico County voters 16,272 to 10,112).