Voters have approved a constitutional amendment to prohibit physician-assisted suicide, also known as medical aid in dying, to make extra sure it won’t be allowed in the future.
Unofficial results reported by The Associated Press and MetroNews show the amendment passing by a few thousand votes. Official results will be certified in the coming weeks.
The practice was already not legal in West Virginia.
When the Republican-led West Virginia Legislature, with mainly Republican support, voted during the legislative session earlier this year to put the proposed amendment on the ballot, it was attempting to use its power to make big changes to state law.
That’s because while passing a normal bill takes just a simple majority of votes, putting a constitutional amendment on the ballot takes much more support — a two-thirds majority, according to the West Virginia Constitution.
West Virginia lawmakers used this power when they removed the already-restricted right to an abortion from the state constitution in 2018.
Supporters of medical aid-in-dying, who were against the amendment, had said allowing for the option is a matter of human dignity, autonomy and compassion for the terminally ill.
Opponents of physician-assisted suicide, who were for the amendment, had said people seeking the treatment may feel like burdens and are actually crying out for emotional help, and they should be met with support from friends and family members.
Current West Virginia law continues to allow people with power of attorney to withhold life-prolonging treatment, if that is the patient’s wish or if they are unable to communicate their wishes.