Kansas Isn’t in Kansas Any More
If we can win it there, we can win it anywhere.
They worked fast, after the Dobbs decision, to counter a state supreme court ruling that the Kansas constitution protects the rights of women to choose abortion. They managed to get a constitutional amendment on the ballot which would allow the legislature to ban abortion if they so choose. And since the state legislature is overwhelmingly Republican, there is little doubt that they would so choose, in quick order.
They did everything they could to thwart democracy in their attempt to pass the amendment. First, they structured the question so a vote to favor abortion rights was a “No” vote. Second, they scheduled the vote on a primary election day knowing that turnout is usually very low for such elections, and that only hardcore party members normally bothered. Third, they sent robo texts stating that those who want women to have “choices in healthcare” should vote “Yes.”
Despite that antidemocratic trifecta, the voters came out in record numbers and were not confused by voting no to get yes and were not confused by text messages designed to trick them into voting opposite their intentions.
Let Kansas be a lesson to us all. Despite all threats to voting rights, all efforts to suppress the vote, all efforts to use disinformation to derail the vote, the vast majority of people who felt strongly about defending women’s rights of bodily autonomy came to the voting booth and prevailed. The best part about this whole thing now is that Kansas will be a refuge for women across the Midwest whose own states have banned abortion. Those who tried so hard to pull a fast one on their own people to get a result that obviously did not reflect the views of a majority even in this very red state will have to watch all the celebrations on social media and all the stories of abortion tourism in the Sunflower State.
Regardless of party affiliation, a large majority of Americans believe in democracy and in liberty and justice for all. Kansas is our hope and inspiration to mobilize voters everywhere to vote for candidates who have the same beliefs and commitment.