Abortion rights and recreational marijuana fail in Florida. But how did Manatee vote?
An amendment that would have legalized recreational marijuana and another that would have enshrined abortion protections in the Florida Constitution failed Tuesday.
But how did Manatee County vote on the issues?
Most Manatee County ballots favored reproductive rights and making recreational weed legal in Florida, but the local votes on Amendments 3 and 4 mirrored statewide sentiment and failed to exceed 60%.
While local referendums only need to cross the 50% threshold to pass, Florida has required statewide amendments to pass with a 60% supermajority since 2006.
Amendment 3 would have legalized recreational marijuana use for adults 21 and older and would have allowed individuals to possess up to three ounces of marijuana, while Amendment 4 would have made abortion legal until fetal viability, which is generally considered to be around 23 to 24 weeks and would have also allowed abortions when necessary to protect a patient’s health.
Florida law bans most abortions after six weeks.
Amendment 3 got around 55% of the vote in Manatee County, or 123,067 votes total, compared to 56% statewide. Amendment 4 also received around 55% of the vote locally, or 123,624 votes, while it garnered 57% statewide.
This story was originally published November 7, 2024 at 5:50 AM.
