Reproductive Freedom for All Campaign Turns In More Than 750,000 Signatures for Ballot Measure Enshrining Abortion Rights in Michigan Constitution

Lansing, MI – Today, the Fairness Project-backed Michigan Reproductive Freedom for All campaign turned in more than 750,000 signatures to qualify a ballot measure to affirm the fundamental right of every Michigander to have reproductive freedom in the Michigan state constitution. Upon review and approval of the Michigan Bureau of Elections and Board of State Canvassers, the initiative will appear on the November ballot.

The constitutional amendment would define the right to make and carry out decisions about all matters relating to pregnancy, including birth control, abortion, prenatal care, and childbirth, without political interference. 

“The Supreme Court’s reckless decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization put people’s health at grave risk by restricting access to abortion. People cannot wait for Congress to codify abortion rights into law, and they are taking matters into their own hands. The outpouring of support, deluge of volunteers, and long list of Michiganders ready to sign on to get this measure on the ballot show just how essential it is that we use and protect the citizen-led ballot measure process. The Fairness Project is proud to be a part of this work in Michigan, which can serve as a framework for voters in other states to defend their rights from extremists,” said Kelly Hall, Executive Director of the Fairness Project. 

The Fairness Project has teamed up with a broad coalition of partners to help qualify this ballot measure for the November election. The Fairness Project is supporting a similar campaign to protect the right to choose in Vermont.

The Michigan Reproductive Freedom for All campaign is a first-of-its-kind ballot measure that inspired more than 60,000 people to sign up to volunteer to collect signatures, with an outpouring of support coming in the immediate wake of the leak of the Dobbs decision. The final tally of signatures submitted today — 753,759 — represents every county in the state and is a state record for signatures submitted for a ballot measure.

The Fairness Project has won 24 of its 25 ballot measure campaigns, including efforts to expand access to health care in Idaho, Maine, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Missouri, and Utah. It is also actively working through its Ballot Measure Rescue campaign to protect the ballot measure process in states where direct democracy is under attack — a fight that is even more essential post-Roe v. Wade in order to protect abortion rights at the state level.