Ohio court rules term unborn child can remain in abortion ballot language

The ruling finalizes the text on a November ballot measure that, if passed, will enshrine abortion access in the state's constitution.

The Ohio Supreme Court handed a partial victory to the state's GOP-controlled ballot board on Tuesday, ruling that the term "unborn child" can remain in the ballot language for a November vote on whether to enshrine abortion protections in the state's constitution.

The ruling comes after Ohioans United for Reproductive Rights and five petitioners sued the board over ballot wording that omitted the term "fetus," which is used in the full text of the proposed constitutional amendment.

The state Supreme Court rejected the petitioners' argument that the ballot's language "introduces an ethical judgment," saying that it "does not establish that the ballot board’s language constitutes improper persuasion."

The office of the Secretary of State said they were “pleased” by the court’s ruling.

“By rejecting special interest attempts to substitute their own carefully crafted and poll tested language for that of the ballot board, they have ensured Ohio voters will have a full and accurate understanding of the proposed measure when they go to cast their ballots,” said Mary Cianciolo, a spokesperson for the Secretary of State’s office, in an email to NBC News.