Slavery was on the ballot in the 2022 election, with three states approving changes to their constitutions to outlaw slavery and involuntary servitude as forms of criminal punishment. In Alabama, Tennessee, and Vermont, slavery was outlawed. According to ABC News, Oregon is leaning yes, but the votes are too early to call.
The one state where tossing aside indentured servitude was not enacted was Louisiana, which as a whole rejected Amendment 7.
The votes won’t change circumstances for those in prison in each state immediately, but they have created challenges for those who work under sanctions or would be further punished if they refused work.
“Voters in Oregon and other states have come together across party lines to say that this stain must be removed from state constitutions,” Oregon Sen. Jeff Merkley, a Democrat, told The Associated Press. “Now, it is time for all Americans to come together and say that it must be struck from the U.S. Constitution. There should be no exceptions to a ban on slavery.”
