Advocates began gathering signatures Thursday in an effort to get an abortion rights measure onto Arizona ballots in 2024.
To put their measure before voters, the group Arizona for Abortion Access will need to collect 383,923 valid signatures from registered Arizona voters by July 3, 2024.
Chris Love, senior advisor to the campaign, told reporters Thursday she is confident the team of volunteers and paid signature gatherers across the state will be able exceed that to buffer against any challenges to the measure.
“I think we want to at least come in with twice the amount of valid signatures that we need, so that will put us over 600,000," Love said.
Abortion is legal up to 15 weeks gestation in Arizona, though the state Supreme Court plans to consider whether a near-total ban dating back to the 1860s should be enforced.
Love said she believes Arizona voters will support broader access.
"Our ballot initiative enshrines the fundamental right to abortion in our state constitution up to viability, and then thereafter, some really broad protections for pregnant people after that viability point," Love said.
