What is Prop 5?

History is in the making here in Vermont. Residents of the Green Mountain state have been supporting the right to reproductive liberty for decades, and with Prop 5, that liberty would be ingrained into our constitutional rights by law.

So what exactly is Prop 5? According to the Planned Parenthood Vermont Action Fund, Prop 5 is “the proposed amendment to the Vermont constitution to guarantee the right to personal reproductive liberty for ALL Vermonters. If passed, Vermont will be the first state in the country to explicitly protect reproductive liberty in its constitution.” I don’t think I need to explain what a tremendous feat this would be, not only for our little state, but for the country.

A constitutional amendment would allow all residents of Vermont the incredible opportunity to keep our freedom in tact, despite any new laws coming out of Washington, D.C. that seek to destroy those freedoms. The amendment would guarantee all Vermonters (no matter what) the personal right to become pregnant and choose to carry the pregnancy to term; to choose abortion; to choose or refuse contraception; and to choose or refuse sterilization.

So, what can we as Vermonters or out-of-staters do to make sure Prop 5 goes into effect? Well, first it has to pass the House and Senate later in 2021. Before this were was a vote back in 2019 in the House and Senate that passed with overwhelming support. We expect the same to happen in 2021. After this happens, Prop 5 will go to the people for a vote on election day in 2022. It will read like this on the ballot:

It’s often that I hear Vermonters, especially on the younger side, say that they don’t bother to vote because our small state has little impact in national elections. While one could argue this to be true, there is still an incredible importance to voting on a local scale, and this couldn’t be truer for the upcoming election in 2022. Register to vote, and you could be a part of history. You can also pledge to vote YES on Prop 5 or donate if you are able. If you’re interested in volunteering to get the word out, shoot an email to volunteer@ppnne.org.

If you’re not a resident of Vermont and you’d like help, start by spreading the word! Share information and stay up date on Prop 5 news by following Planned Parenthood of Northern New England and Planned Parenthood Vermont Action Fund on social media. If and when Prop 5 passes and goes into effect, other states may take notice and begin to follow suit. Though Vermont is small, we are mighty- and our goal is to continue proudly displaying our value of personal freedom for all others to see.