Amendment 4 to the Florida Constitution, the Amendment to Limit Government Interference with Abortion, did not reach the 60% voting threshold during the 2024 election.
Abortion was one of the two citizen-sponsored initiatives in this year’s ballot. With over 900,000 signed petitions, this amendment earned a spot on the ballot with four other measures added by Florida’s State Legislature.
On Election Day, Amendment 4 fell three percentage points short of the 60% needed to pass. Out of over 10 million voters, more than six million cast a ballot in favor of limiting the government’s interference in abortions. Yet that only made up 57.2% of votes.
Supporters of the Amendment blame the bill’s failure on the supermajority needed to pass.
“It’s a weird feeling to win by 15% and still lose,” said Pinecrest Councilmember, Anna Hochkammer, executive director of Florida Women’s Freedom Coalition, to the Miami Herald.
As the election approached, discussions surrounding Amendment 4 were widespread, with television stations featuring advertisements both opposing and supporting Amendment 4.
“The only way to end the current ban, which has no real exceptions for rape, incest, or health of the woman, is for Floridians to vote yes on Amendment 4,” their website said underneath the video.
Rallies were held across Florida, with abortion-rights advocates frequently taking to the streets to mobilize voters. Opponents of the amendment matched their efforts, including a rally organized by Ave Maria University, a Catholic institution in Ave Maria, Florida, just two weeks before the election.
“This event raises awareness of the harm Amendment 4 will cause to the unborn and their mothers — allowing for late-term abortions, eliminating parental consent laws, and worsening the health care provided to women in crisis,” Father Joseph Lugalambi, Ave Maria University’s campus chaplain told CNA.
Shortly after the election, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis published, “With polls now closed in Florida — Amendment 3 has failed. Amendment 4 has failed,” on X, formerly known as Twitter.
Fox called DeSantis’ tweet a victory lap. Florida’s Governor had openly opposed Amendment 4 several times before the elections. On Oct. 22 he held a press conference alongside medical professionals to “outline the dangers of Amendment 4.”
“You have no definitions in these amendments, you have no doctors required to be involved in this amendment, and you have really, really extreme policies such as the lack of meaningful limits,” said DeSantis during the conference in Coral Gables. “That is not something that belongs in any state constitution, much less the State of Florida.”
While many focused on the results of the presidential election, Floridians Protecting Freedom hosted a “Yes on 4” watch party at St. Pittsburg.
“The reality is, because of Florida’s constitution, a minority, a minority, a minority of Florida voters have decided that Amendment 4 will not be adopted,” Lauren Brenzel, Campaign Director of “Yes on 4” said to supporters after the results were published.
After the results were announced, UMiamiDems published a statement on their Instagram.
“We are extremely disheartened to hear about the loss of democratic federal, state, and local offices last night, along with the failure of Amendments 3 & 4 in the state of Florida.”
But those were not the only voices announcing their disappointment.
Debbie Mucarsel-Powell, who appeared on the ticket as the Democratic Senate Candidate, spoke up on the results to her supporters at her watch party at the JW Marriott in Miami.
“We were not successful in sending a woman, a mom, who would be fighting every single day for our daughters and women in the state of Florida, to protect their reproductive freedom.”