Is Personhood Initiative The Same As Abortion? How Colorado, North Dakota And Tennessee Voted

Tuesday’s midterm elections also doubled as an abortion battle for some states. Colorado, North Dakota and Tennessee had “Personhood” ballot measures that sought to define a fetus as a person within a matter of weeks instead of months, thus drastically cutting down the amount of time a woman has to have an abortion.

Personhood USA describes itself on its website as “the cultural and legal recognition of the equal and unalienable rights of human beings.”

“This terrifies the pro-abortion foes,” the site claims.

The Colorado measure, known as Amendment 67, did not pass in the liberal-leaning state. "Shall there be an amendment to the Colorado constitution protecting pregnant women and unborn children by defining 'person' and 'child' in the Colorado criminal code and the Colorado wrongful death act to include unborn human beings?" the question asked. With 74 percent of the vote counted, the measure was losing 64 percent to 36 percent.

Tennessee’s measure, known as Amendment 1, would mean women do not have the right to an abortion, even if they were raped. “Nothing in this Constitution secures or protects a right to abortion or requires the funding of an abortion," the measure said. "The people retain the right through their elected state representatives and state senators to enact, amend, or repeal statutes regarding abortion, including, but not limited to, circumstances of pregnancy resulting from rape or incest or when necessary to save the life of the mother." With 85 percent of the vote counted, 54 percent of voters said yes versus 46 percent who said no.

North Dakota’s Measure 1 would "create and enact a new section to Article I of the North Dakota Constitution stating, 'The inalienable right to life of every human being at any stage of development must be recognized and protected.'" With 75 percent of the bote counted, the measure was losing 64 percent to 36 percent.

Follow me on Twitter @mariamzzarella