If the Yes campaign wins, Irish lawmakers are expected to enact legislation allowing for terminations in the first 12 weeks of pregnancy — and later in cases where there is a risk to the mother’s life or the fetus is not expected to survive.
A No vote would keep Ireland’s abortion laws — some of the strictest in the developed world — in place.
The Eighth Amendment, which was added into the constitution following a referendum in 1983, places the rights of the fetus and the rights of its mother on equal footing, effectively banning abortion barring a “real and substantial risk” to the mother’s life.
As with any proposed change to Ireland’s constitution, the question has to be put to a referendum.
Abortion-rights activists — advocating a Yes vote on Friday — have long argued that the Eighth Amendment punishes women and doesn’t stop abortions, which are exported, mostly to the UK, instead.
Their longstanding campaign to repeal the Eighth, as it is commonly known, has seen some change over the past three decades.
Anti-abortion activists will be voting No, arguing that the Eighth has saved thousands of lives and encouraged compassionate alternatives to abortion, such as perinatal hospice care when the baby is not expected to survive or adoption for babies born to women in challenging circumstances.
The No campaign has also found support from anti-abortion groups worldwide, including some American activists who have traveled to speak at rallies.
Polls will close at 5 p.m. ET (10 p.m. local) on Friday. Counting of ballots will get underway on Saturday, with a result expected by mid-afternoon.
Source : Nbcnewyork