DENVER (AP) -- The nation's only pending ballot measure to ban abortion in all circumstances has failed to advance to voters in Colorado.
Colorado Secretary of State Scott Gessler announced Wednesday that backers of the divisive "personhood" amendment fell about 3,900 valid signatures short of the some 86,000 needed.
Abortion foes earlier succeeded twice in getting the proposal on Colorado ballots. The measure was overwhelmingly defeated both times.
The abortion foes are vowing to challenge the rejection of some of this year's signatures in court. Supporters of abortion rights cheered the failure to make ballots and say the difficulty getting signatures this year in Colorado underscores the measure's unpopularity.
The "personhood" proposal also would ban embryonic stem-cell research and some common fertility treatments.
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