DENVER—The nation’s only pending ballot measure to ban abortion in all circumstances has failed in Colorado, the only place voters were expected to consider a divisive “personhood” measure.
Colorado Secretary of State Scott Gessler announced Wednesday that backers of the “personhood” amendment fell about 3,900 valid signatures short of the some 86,000 needed.
Abortion foes succeeded twice before getting the proposal on Colorado ballots. Both were overwhelmingly defeated.
The abortion foes are vowing to challenge the rejection of some of this year’s signatures in court. Supporters of abortion rights cheered the failure to make ballots and say the difficulty getting signatures this year in Colorado underscores the measure’s unpopularity.
The “personhood” proposal would also ban embryonic stem-cell research and some fertility treatments.
