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Ireland just voted to repeal its abortion ban

"The country has listened. Women have spoken."

A woman kneels infront of a mural of Savita Halappanavar in Dublin as votes are counted in the referendum on the 8th Amendment of the Irish Constitution which prohibits abortions unless a mother's life is in danger. (Photo by Niall Carson/PA Images via Getty Images)
A woman kneels infront of a mural of Savita Halappanavar in Dublin as votes are counted in the referendum on the 8th Amendment of the Irish Constitution which prohibits abortions unless a mother's life is in danger. (Photo by Niall Carson/PA Images via Getty Images)

Voters in Ireland overwhelmingly voted to repeal the country’s 8th amendment, which banned all abortions except when the life of the mother was in danger.

Although the official tally will not be released until later Saturday, early returns were so overwhelming that forces opposing the repeal quickly conceded defeat. The result represents a continued liberalization of the historically Catholic nation, which legalized divorce in 1995 and same-sex marriage three years ago.

“The people have said we want a modern constitution for a modern country, that we trust women and we respect them to make the right decision, the right choices about their own healthcare,” Taoiseach Leo Varadkar told the Irish Times.

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“Women have been told take the plane, take the boat. Today we say take our hand. Women have been told you are on your own. Today we say we stand with you,” Minister for Health Simon Harris said.

Women in Ireland seeking an abortion had been forced to travel abroad. About 3,000 Irish women went to Britain each year for abortion services. The vote will not immediately legalize abortion in Ireland, but clears the constitutional hurdles for legislation to be passed. The overwhelming margin of victory will put political pressure on legislators to move quickly.

The repeal gained political momentum in 2012 when a woman, Savita Halappanavar, died after being denied an abortion during an extended miscarriage. An exception for “life of the mother” was adopted in 2013.

An exit poll found that 68% percent of voters favored repeal. An abortion ban remains in place in Northern Ireland.