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Here are the 26 states likely to ban abortion if SCOTUS overturns Roe v Wade

After the leak of the initial draft, barricades were erected outside of the Supreme Court building

The Supreme Court has reportedly voted to overturn the Roe v Wade abortion ruling. As per a leaked initial draft, written by Justice Samuel Alito, it says, "We hold that Roe and Casey must be overruled. It is time to heed the Constitution and return the issue of abortion to the people's elected representatives."

Written in February 2022, the draft piece labeled 'Opinion of the Court' stated that the US Supreme Court has voted to strike down the landmark 1973 ruling, which legalized abortion in the United States, the Politico reported. More than half of all states have some kind of abortion ban law set to take effect if Roe v Wade is overturned by the US Supreme Court.

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According to the pro-reproductive rights group The Guttmacher Institute, at least 22 states have laws on the books that would come into effect if the decision is officially adopted. Four more states were identified that are expected to pass new abortion bans in the near future, marking a total of 26 states that appear to be set to ban the procedures.

The 18 states that have near-total bans on abortion already on the books are Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Idaho, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming. Meanwhile, Georgia, Iowa, Ohio, and South Carolina have laws that ban abortions after the six-week mark, reports Daily Mail.

The portal further states that Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Michigan, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Texas, West Virginia, and Wisconsin's bans all have pre-Roe v Wade laws that became unenforceable after the Supreme Court's 1973 decision that would kick into effect if the federal legal precedent established in Roe were overturned. Florida already has a 15-week abortion ban which will take effect in July 2022, and does not make any exceptions for cases of rape or incest.

"Roe was egregiously wrong from the start. Its reasoning was exceptionally weak, and the decision has had damaging consequences. And far from bringing about a national settlement of the abortion issue, Roe and Casey have enflamed debate and deepened division," the leaked document reads.

After the leak, barricades were erected outside of the Supreme Court building. This was followed by groups of protesters gathering outside in large numbers. The people started chanting "Abortion is health care" and "My body, my choice" while holding signs. Pro-life and pro-choice supporters were seen clashing and arguing outside the building as the protests grew.