By admin 
In a vote that could be a predictor of a topic that will likely dominate the US presidential contest in 2019, Ohio voters will decide on Tuesday whether to include abortion rights in the state’s constitution.
The vote takes place one and a half years after the Supreme Court invalidated the federal right to an abortion, opening the door for some states to outlaw the procedure outright, including in situations involving rape or incest.
Following the landmark Roe v. Wade decision’s reversal, Ohio passed a state law prohibiting abortions after a heartbeat is detected in the womb, which is typically around six weeks of gestation, before most women are even aware they are pregnant.
The law is currently suspended as it winds its way through legal challenges, meaning that for now it is still possible to obtain an abortion in Ohio up to about 22 weeks of pregnancy.
But the law sparked a national outcry for the short time it was allowed to remain in effect last year, when a 10-year-old rape survivor was forced to travel to neighboring Indiana for an abortion after being denied care at home.
As Tuesday’s vote approached, Ohioan Matthew Hartman was on the fence.
“I’m actually doing research now,” Hartman told AFP on the eve of the vote.