Florida Amendment 4 is projected to fail, with 57.3% voting yes. The amendment was sponsored by Floridians Protecting Freedom.
The Amendment needed 60% of Florida voters to be approved.
The amendment would have limited the government's interference in abortion, meaning it would have blocked any law or government from restricting an abortion before the fetus is viable outside the womb — also known as the point of viability. This usually occurs at about 24 weeks of pregnancy.
This was the language that voters saw on their ballots:
No law shall prohibit, penalize, delay, or restrict abortion before viability or when necessary to protect the patient's health, as determined by the patient's healthcare provider. This amendment does not change the Legislature's constitutional authority to require notification to a parent or guardian before a minor has an abortion.
This election season, ABC Action News and Scripps News are partnering with Decision Desk HQ to provide the public with timely and accurate election projections or results.
What is Decision Desk HQ?
Decision Desk HQ (DDHQ) launched as an independent provider of election results, race calls and data in 2012. It was the first provider to call the presidency for former President Donald Trump in 2016 and President Joe Biden in 2020. In 2022, DDHQ says it projected the U.S. Senate, House, and governor races with 100% accuracy.
How does DDHQ work?
DDHQ calls races using technology like data scraping and real people on the ground at polling sites. For larger elections, like the presidential election, DDHQ is strategic about choosing which states and localities to send staff to.
The amendment would have reversed Florida's six-week abortion ban currently in place and prevented state lawmakers from passing similar restrictions moving forward.
In June 2022, Roe v. Wade was overturned by the Supreme Court, which eliminated the federal constitutional right to abortion. This then allowed states to set their own policies on abortion restrictions and access.
Bank finally endorses Florida man's hurricane insurance check after we shared his story
Hurricane Milton left a St. Pete man’s property under water. But when he went to cash his insurance check, the bank refused to cash it. Investigative Reporter Katie LaGrone shares an update.