What Does Kansas' Abortion Vote Mean for the 2022 Elections?

Kansas voters rejected a push to remove the state’s constitutional abortion protections on Tuesday. What does this mean for the 2022 elections and abortion access nationwide?

Voters in Kansas turned out in record numbers. Over 900,000 votes were cast in the abortion referendum, representing roughly 47% of the state’s registered voters. Top Republican and Democratic candidates in Tuesday’s Kansas primaries received roughly 463,000 and 276,000 votes, respectively — meaning tens of thousands of Kansans voted on abortion but not for governor or U.S. Senate.

Political analyses across the spectrum suggested the vote could be a boost for Democrats and pro-choice activists ahead of the 2022 elections; a New York Times (Lean Left bias) analysis said the vote “implies that around 65 percent of voters nationwide would reject a similar initiative.” However, analysts from the right often argued that the abortion “fight” was “only just beginning.”

Media reactions varied widely but mostly aligned with partisan trends. While a writer at The Nation (Left bias) argued the vote showed that “voters nationwide are pro-choice,” several writers at National Review (Right bias) described the referendum as “unquestionably” disappointing; one even asked, “How do we live with evil?” Meanwhile, the New York Post (Lean Right bias) praised the referendum for showing that “Democracy works,” and a writer at CNN (Left bias) said a vote on a “fundamental right” never should have happened.