Prop 1 approved: What it means for New Yorkers

NEW YORK (PIX11) – New York voters approved the only statewide ballot proposal in the 2024 election, effectively protecting abortion rights in the state Constitution. 

Prop 1, also known as the Equal Rights Amendment, adds a clause that addresses discrimination based on ethnicity, sexual orientation, religion, or gender.

The proposal garnered the required 50% of votes to pass.

The amendment reads: No person shall be denied the equal protection of the laws of this state or any subdivision thereof. No person shall, because of race, color, ethnicity, national origin, age, disability, creed [or], religion, or sex, including sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, pregnancy, pregnancy outcomes, and reproductive healthcare and autonomy, be subjected to any discrimination in [his or her] their civil rights by any other person or by any firm, corporation, or institution, or by the state or any agency or subdivision of the state, pursuant to law.

Prop 1 secures reproductive rights and freedoms for New Yorkers, according to the New York Civil Liberties Union, which urged New Yorkers to vote in favor of the ballot measure. 

The proposition passed the New York State Legislature. However, amendments to the state Constitution require a statewide vote of approval.

The New York State Republican Party had suggested voters opt out of Prop 1, claiming it is unnecessary and undermines parents’ authority. 

Several other states have adopted a version of the Equal Rights Amendment, including Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Pennsylvania. Others, like Georgia, Ohio, and West Virginia, do not have similar amendments.

In the November 2024 election, abortion-related measures were on ballots in at least nine other states, including Colorado and Missouri.