Tennesseans voted overwhelmingly in favor of all four amendments to the state constitution, including the much-debated Amendment 1. The legislature now has the power to tighten regulations to abortion, even in the case of rape, incest and when the mother’s life is in danger due to the pregnancy.
More than 600,000 Tennesseans approved Amendment 1, according to election results late Tuesday night. This amendment passed with a little more than 53 percent approval, which was the closest margin among all four amendments.
Its passage modifies the Tennessee’s Supreme Court’s 2001 ruling, which said that the state constitution provided more protections than even the U.S. Constitution, and opens the way for law makers to pass regulations similar to those in border states.
Although this mid-term election saw fewer voters than 2010’s, many Tennesseans specifically came out to the ballots to make their voice heard on Amendment 1.
University of Memphis political science freshman Alex Scott, 18, said she felt strongly on Amendment 1.
“I voted yes on all of them,” She said. “I just think Tennessee should have common sense regulation on abortion. It’s all about safety and regulation.”
Although Scott said 24-hour waiting periods and stricter regulations were major reasons for voting yes on one, she said she took her dad’s advice when it came to the other three amendments.
“I didn’t understand what they were about so I went with what my dad told me to do,” Scott said.
Amendment 2, which gives the governor final say over all judge appointees for appellate and state supreme court judges, passed with well over 60 percent. Tennesseans forever eliminated the possibility of having a state income tax when they approved Amendment 3 by nearly 70 percent.
School bus driver and U of M student Chad Turner, 29, voted against three of the amendments, but said yes to a moratorium on income tax.
“I don’t believe it’s constitutional for our state to have an income tax,” Turner said. “I don’t mind paying taxes but I don’t like what they usually go towards.”
Amendment 4, which would allow veteran’s organizations to hold raffles for charitable rasons, had by far the most approval, receiving nearly 750,000 votes for the amendment.
Also at stake on Tuesday was control of the US senate. Tennessee’s incumbent Republican Sen. Lamar Alexander held out against Democratic challenger Gordon Ball, winning 2-to-1. In Arkansas, Republican Sen. Tom Cotton won against incumbent Democrat Mark Pryor with 56 percent of the vote. In Mississippi, Republican Sen. Thad Cochran retained his seat against Democrat Travis Childers.
Nationally, Republicans gained at least seven seats and took control of the Senate.
Republican Bill Haslam remains governor of Tennessee, while in Arkansas, Republican Asa Hutchinson won out against Democrat Mike Ross, 55 to 42 percent in that state’s gubernatorial election.
