Hand count of Kansas vote brings no joy for pro-lifers

A hand count of votes failed to find political will for protecting the unborn, according to results reported Sunday. Nine Kansas counties recounted votes last week from a referendum about amending the state constitution to note it does not include a right to abortion. In an unexpected outcome, the initial referendum favored the current abortion law by a margin of about 165,000 votes or 18 percentage points. The recounts altered the outcome by fewer than 100 votes.

Why the recount? Melissa Leavitt, who wants tighter election laws, asked for the recount in the counties, which contained Kansas’s largest cities. Mark Gietzen, a longtime pro-life activist, helped provide funding. Both believe there were problems with the referendum. Kansas law allows a recount if those asking for it can cover the counties’ costs. The counties pay if the outcome changes.

Dig Deeper: Read Leah Savas’s report in Vitals on the referendum loss.