In New York, a ballot referendum meant to protect abortion may not use the word 'abortion'

A proposed amendment to New York’s constitution that supporters say is intended to protect abortion rights might appear on the ballot this fall without any mention of the word “abortion." That’s partly because of disagreements about what the so-called Equal Rights Amendment would actually do, if passed. The state’s Board of Elections has decided Monday that rather than try and interpret the amendment, they would simply repeat its somewhat unclear language. Democrats and Republicans are both using the proposal as a vessel for some of their most pressing political issues in the hopes of driving voters to the polls this November.