Speaking to NBC News outside of a polling location, GOP presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy said he would vote against major ballot measures on abortion rights and marijuana legalization.
Ill be voting 'no' on both, he said when asked about how he intends to vote on both issues, adding he thinks "it is appropriate for the abortion issue to be handled by states.
But I think its also important for the states to come up with the correct answer here," he added. "And I reject any constitutional measure, like the one being proposed today, that could be interpreted to allow abortion up to the life, up to the time of birth. Thats wrong.
"Parental consent is also paramount," he said. "The fact that this would strip back parental consent rights, I do think parents have rights over minors to be able to help them make those right decisions."
Asked about the ballot measure on marijuana legalization, Ramaswamy said the issue should only be discussed at the federal level.
I think that theres room for reasonable discussion at the federal level about what these policies should be, but I dont think were doing a service to the rule of law in this country, where we have continual departures" between state laws and federal law, he said.
I am open to a rational discussion about what, for example, veterans who suffer from certain conditions of pain or PTSD might be have available to them. Lets have that discussion at the federal level," he said. "Thats where the federal drug laws are. But right now, at the state level, I do not think it is healthy for our country to see further chaos and confusion and conflicts between state and federal law.