Arizona Supreme Court says fetus can be called 'unborn human' in voter pamphlet

By Kanishka Singh

(Reuters) - The Arizona Supreme Court on Wednesday ruled a fetus can be referred to as an "unborn human being" in pamphlets for voters to decide about the constitutional right to an abortion.

Voters in the state will decide in November whether to add the right to an abortion to Arizona's constitution. Abortions in Arizona are currently subject to a 15-week ban that Republican lawmakers passed in 2022 after the U.S. Supreme Court's decision that year to eliminate a nationwide right to abortion.

The "unborn human being" phrase "substantially complies" with impartiality requirement in state law, Wednesday's ruling said. Arizona for Abortion Access, the coalition of advocacy groups backing the referendum, said it was "deeply disappointed" by the ruling.

Abortion will be on the ballot in at least eight U.S. states for the Nov. 5 election, including battleground states likely to play critical roles in the presidential race and the fight for control of Congress.

Democrats, led by Vice President Kamala Harris, the party's presidential candidate, have sought to build support for the measures, which they hope will galvanize left-leaning and independent voters. Harris faces Republican former President Donald Trump in the election.

The states where voters will decide whether to guarantee abortion rights include Arizona and Nevada, which are not only likely to be among the states that decide the presidential contest but also feature high-profile Senate races that could determine which party controls that chamber.

Arizona election officials on Monday approved a ballot measure that would amend the state constitution to guarantee abortion rights up to fetal viability, generally considered to be around 23 or 24 weeks.

President Joe Biden narrowly won the state over Trump in 2020, the first Democrat to carry it in 24 years, and polls show it is once again a close contest between Harris and Trump.

(Reporting by Kanishka Singh; additional reporting by Joseph Ax; Editing by Marguerita Choy)