Voters in Louisiana approve state constitutional amendment specifying that abortion is not a right

Louisiana voters voted in favor Tuesday of an amendment to their state constitution that specifies the document does not grant the right to an abortion to anyone in the state.

On Tuesday, Amendment 1, was overwhelmingly approved by the state's electorate and will now serve as a codified way to understand where the state falls on the issue, in the event that the landmark Supreme Court ruling Roe v. Wade on such rights is overturned.

The exact language on the ballot was whether to state that "a right to abortion and the funding of abortion shall not be found in the Louisiana Constitution.”

With 2 million votes cast, the amendment passed with 62% of the vote. Louisiana will now join Tennessee, Alabama, and West Virginia – all states with similar language in their state constitutions. 

In Colorado, voters rejected an abortion measure on Tuesday that would have banned the procedure after the 22nd week of pregnancy. With 85% of the vote counted, Coloradans voted against the measure by about 60%.