In the Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization case that overturned Roe v. Wade in June 2022, Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito wrote, “The permissibility of abortion, and the limitations upon it, are to be resolved like most important questions in our democracy: by citizens trying to persuade one another and then voting.” In the aftermath of that decision, citizens in Kansas delivered a landslide victory for abortion rights. Nearly 60% of voters in Kansas rejected a referendum aiming to remove abortion protections from the state constitution. This significant outcome solidified state-level safeguards for abortion in Kansas, setting a notable precedent for reproductive rights advocacy nationwide. Voters in other contentious states like Michigan and Ohio followed suit enshrining the right to abortion in their state constitutions. 

Now, eyes are on Proposition 139 in my home state of Arizona. The initiative is expected to be a pivotal issue in the upcoming elections, reflecting a broader national trend of addressing abortion rights through state-level ballot measures. Since June 2022, Arizona has emerged as a focal point in the national conversation on reproductive rights. With a 19th-century abortion ban in place and the possibility of a Supreme Court decision overturning Roe v. Wade looming, Republican leaders in March 2022 made Arizona the first state to establish a “contingency plan” prohibiting abortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy, introducing confusion about which coexisting, conflicting law prevailed once Roe was overturned. The civil war-era abortion ban was repealed during this year’s legislative session and Governor Katie Hobbs signed the repeal into law. Arizona’s 15-week abortion ban prevails.

Arizona has over 50 laws restricting abortion access, removing bodily autonomy from pregnant individuals, preventing access to healthcare based on arbitrary and medically unsound grounds, and endangering the lives of pregnant people. These laws make abortion care inaccessible, unaffordable, and remove the freedom of pregnant people to expand families on their own terms. Proposition 139 aims to establish a constitutional right to abortion but will leave existing restrictive laws on the books. 

The constitutional right to abortion is an important part of a multipronged approach to protect and expand abortion access for all Arizonans. We cannot allow the Arizona Supreme Court to be the sole arbiter of what abortion care is available in our state. Legislative action to prioritize reproductive health care accessibility for Arizonans is crucial. Abortion restrictions must be repealed through legislation, and we need to elect legislators in November who will prioritize expanding access to essential reproductive health care in the upcoming session.

Justice Alito told us that the power now lies with the states and each of their individual electorates. Ballot initiatives are not a 50-state strategy to restore abortion access across the country for several reasons. Some states make it easier than others to place measures on the ballot. In other states, even if initiatives are successful, they can face legal challenges or be undermined by hostile state legislatures, complicating efforts to secure lasting access to abortion.

We’ve reached a critical juncture where staying apolitical is no longer an option. We must reject cynicism in this moment. Our lives are at stake. The Brennan Center for Justice points out that “the movements to eliminate abortion and restrict the vote are both undergirded by many of the same powerful forces.” These forces include those who want to uphold patriarchy, misogyny, and white supremacy. Community-driven political engagement has proven effective time and again. Our best tool is to get out and vote now, in every election, for every ballot measure and every amendment. By empowering ourselves and our communities with information and mobilizing voters, we can elect leaders who truly represent us. Together, we hold the power to drive meaningful change.

DeShawn Taylor, M.D. is an Arizona-based physician and reproductive rights activist.  She is also the author of Undue Burden:  A Black Woman Physician on Being Christian and Pro-Abortion in the Reproductive Justice Movement.