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Activists collect signatures to get abortion on Michigan
An initiative is underway to get abortion on the ballot in Michigan this November.
DETROIT (FOX 2) - Activists are collecting signatures to get abortion on the November ballot after a leak that the Supreme Court will overturn Roe v. Wade.
"The ability to control your body is absolutely the most fundamental right there is - if you can't control your body you can't control any part of your life," said Marie Lowry, who was gathering signatures for the initiative led by the Michigan ACLU.
More: Who could be prosecuted if Roe v Wade is overturned
The ballot initiative is the first in the nation that would amend a state constitution to guarantee the right to abortion.
"We are seeing a groundswell of support - in just this past week we have seen 30,000 folks across Michigan raise their hand and say they want to take action to protect and defend reproductive freedom here in Michigan," Jessica Ayoub said.
Ayoub says since the draft of the Supreme Court decision was leaked to the press, tens of thousands of people have volunteered to circulate petitions. The effort needs 425,059 signatures from registered voters in Michigan by July 11 to appear on the November ballot.
Lawsuits are also seeking to keep a 1931 Michigan law from going in to effect that would ban abortion - even in cases of rape and incest - and prosecute doctors and nurses who perform the procedure.
"Abortion is health care, and we believe as reproductive freedom for all - that healthcare decisions should be made between a doctor and the person - the pregnant person," Ayoub said.
-FOX News reports a new poll shows a majority of Americans - 57% - favor preserving Roe
Even though polling shows a majority of people support the right to an abortion, anti-abortion advocates say they don't think the support is there.
"The majority of people may believe that abortion should be legal to a certain extent but the extreme abortion agenda that we are seeing play out around the country and what Roe v. Wade gave us, abortion on demand throughout all nine months of pregnancy for any reason, is not a popular opinion held by most people," said Genevieve Marnon from Right to Life of Michigan.
Right now in Michigan, abortion is legal up to 24 weeks of pregnancy, and the ballot initiative would allow the state to prohibit abortion after fetal viability unless needed to protect a patient's life.
"We know that most people are behind it - most people agree with it. It's just a matter of getting those signatures," Lowry said.
Supporters cannot sign the petition on-line - they must sign an actual paper copy. Learn more here.