Florida voters reject measures to protect abortion rights and legalize recreational marijuana

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) — Florida voters rejected ballot measures Tuesday to protect abortion rights and legalize marijuana, handing victories to Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis and solidifying the state's new reputation as a conservative stronghold.

DeSantis used state resources and campaigned heavily against each issue, telling voters that whether they were for or against marijuana or abortion rights, the measures were flawed, poorly worded and would likely never be repealed if enshrined in the state constitution.

But DeSantis' campaign would have failed if it wasn't for former Republican Gov. Jeb Bush, who 20 years ago successfully pushed the threshold to change the constitution to 60% support. Both measures had support from a majority of voters, but not enough to pass.

“We fought the good fight, we kept the faith, and we finished the race. Thanks to @GovRonDeSantis and our great team for everything they sacrificed over the past months to protect our great state from amendments that sought to attack our families and way of life,” DeSantis' chief of staff, James Uthmeier said on X, where DeSantis simply posted that both issues were defeated.

Still, supporters of the amendment criticized DeSantis for using state resources, including television ads and a social media campaign, to fight the measures.

“This is no longer the ‘Free State of Florida’" said Florida Women's Freedom Coalition executive director Anna Hochkammer in a news release. “This is a state that strips humans of their freedoms and dignity. A state whose government pushed a taxpayer-funded campaign using government resources to intimidate voters, silence women, and undermine democracy."

The abortion measure would have prevented lawmakers from passing any law that penalized, prohibited, delayed or restricts abortion until fetal viability, which doctors say is sometime after 21 weeks. The state’s restrictive six-week abortion law still stands. Florida is one of the first states to reject abortion rights in a ballot measure since Roe v. Wade was overturned.

The marijuana measure would have allowed people 21 years old and older to possess about 3 ounces of marijuana, and it would have allowed businesses already growing and selling medical marijuana to sell it to them. This vote came at a time when federal officials are moving to reclassify marijuana as a less dangerous drug.

The ballot measures needed approval from at least 60% of voters. In other states, abortion rights helped drive turnout and were a leading issue that allowed Democrats to retain multiple Senate seats in 2022.

DeSantis and other state leaders spent months campaigning against the measures. Democrats heavily campaigned in support of both issues, hoping to inspire party supporters to the polls. Republican have a 1 million-voter registration edge over Democrats.

Among DeSantis’ arguments against the marijuana initiative is that it would have hurt the state’s tourism because of a weed stench in the air. But other Republican leaders, including Florida resident Donald Trump and former state GOP Chairman Sen. Joe Gruters, supported legalizing recreational marijuana.

Trump went back and forth on how he would vote on the state’s abortion rights initiative before finally saying he would oppose it.