Abortion will be protected in the Maryland state constitution

Caption

An audience member holds a brochure on abortion rights as Vice President Kamala Harris delivers remarks on reproductive rights at Ritchie Coliseum on the campus of the University of Maryland on June 24, 2024 in College Park, Maryland. Harris is speaking on the two year anniversary of the Dobbs decision, the Supreme Court ruling that overturned Roe v. Wade and struck down federal abortion protections. / Getty Images

This piece originally appeared as part of NPR's live coverage of the 2024 election. For more election coverage from the NPR Network head to our live updates page.

BALTIMORE — Marylanders voted to protect reproductive rights in the state constitution Tuesday, according to a call by the Associated Press.

Abortion is already legal in the state. By approving the amendment, though, voters have made it extremely difficult for lawmakers in the future to pass a law that could limit reproductive care without violating the state constitution.

“Today marks a significant victory for the rights, dignity, and autonomy of every person in our state, and those patients and their families who are forced to leave their home communities to travel to Maryland for healthcare,” said Morgan Nuzzo, co-founder of Partners of Abortion Care, a clinic in Maryland.

Reproductive rights advocates say the amendment protects Maryland residents and those who travel to Maryland for care.

Gov. Wes Moore, a Democrat, signed a reproductive freedom bill package into law in 2023. Those laws protect electronic health record data, shield abortion providers from prosecution in other states and require public colleges to give students access to comprehensive reproductive care.

More: Maryland election results

Moore’s administration also invested millions of dollars in training abortion providers and created a stockpile of mifepristone after a federal court case threatened its availability.

Maryland is one of 10 states with abortion on the ballot.