Thunderclap ballot box victory on abortion rights in Kansas gives Democrats a potent midterm issue

The wording of the question was convoluted, but the answer was crystal clear: No. Voters in Kansas on Tuesday, in dramatic numbers and by an overwhelming margin, rejected a ballot measure that would have allowed lawmakers to ban abortion in the state.

As Republican-controlled state legislatures around the country race to outlaw the procedure in the aftermath of the Supreme Court decision overturning Roe v. Wade, traditionally conservative Kansas, given the chance to directly respond at the ballot box, denied their own elected leaders' the chance to revoke a right that has broad support across swaths of independent polling.

The rejection of the measure highlighted the increasingly stark divide between the activities of Republican state lawmakers, often in legislatures gerrymandered to effectively guarantee GOP control, and the political and policy desires of American voters. In more immediate terms, the ballot measure's defeat -- on a day of extraordinary turnout -- also provides a clear indication that the desire to defend abortion rights could be a potent issue for Democrats in the coming midterm elections.