Arizona abortion rights advocates submit double the signatures needed to put constitutional amendment on ballot

Washington — Abortion rights advocates in Arizona on Wednesday submitted more than double the signatures needed to place an initiative on the November ballot that would enshrine the right to abortion in the state's constitution.

Organizers with Arizona for Abortion Access, the coalition behind the effort, said they submitted 823,685 signatures, far more than the 383,923 required to place an initiative proposing a constitutional amendment before voters.

The Arizona Constitution requires valid signatures from 15% of registered voters for ballot questions. The secretary of state and county officials will next process the petitions and determine whether enough valid signatures were gathered to put the proposal on the ballot.