Last night, voters in Albuquerque, New Mexico defeated an unprecedented ballot measure that would have banned abortion after 20 weeks and contained no exceptions for rape, incest, or the health of the woman.
The proposed measure was the first of its kind to be introduced on the city-level and drew national coverage for the robust campaigns launched around it, both for and against. Yesterday’s election drew record numbers of voters, with about a quarter of Albuquerque’s registered voters, 87,296 in total, voting in the special election — more than voted in the regular election for mayor earlier this month, according to MSNBC.
“Together, we sent a strong message to the legislators across the country — both on the state and national level — who are proposing similar bans: We will not go back. We will not stop fighting,” said Eleanor Smeal, president of Feminist Majority Foundation.
FMF sent a team of National Campus Organizers to Albuquerque to mobilize student voters on the ground. FMF, Young Women United and ProgressNow New Mexico also sponsored shuttles from local campuses to the polls, which were overwhelmed by students.
Dolores Huerta, FMF board member and co-founder of United Farm Workers, also campaigned with student leaders in Albuquerque.
Media Resources: Feminist Newswire, 11/19/2013; MSNBC, 11/20/2013; New York Times, 11/20/2013
