Pro-Abortion Initiatives Are On The Ballot In These 10 States

Although most eyes are on the presidential election, voters in 10 states will decide on pro-abortion ballot measures.

Following the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade in 2022, pro-abortion groups have put their efforts behind ballot initiatives.

In some states, such as Arizona and Florida, the passage of pro-abortion ballot initiatives would overturn restrictions passed by the state legislatures.

Other states, such as Colorado and New York, would limit restrictions to the procedure.

The states that have pro-abortion initiatives include:

• Arizona
• Colorado
• Florida
• Maryland
• Missouri
• Montana
• Nebraska
• Nevada
• New York
• South Dakota

“There are TEN state-level radical pro-abortion ballot initiatives across America this election cycle and ONE ‘pro-life’ one. If you’re a Christian living in any of the states below, make sure you get out and vote against these,” Center for Baptist Leadership Executive Director William Wolfe said.

There are TEN state-level radical pro-abortion ballot initiatives across America this election cycle and ONE "pro-life" one.

If you're a Christian living in any of the states below, make sure you get out and vote against these. pic.twitter.com/btq2pGpBzf

— William Wolfe 🇺🇸 (@William_E_Wolfe) November 2, 2024

A closer look:

Here’s a breakdown from The Guardian:

Arizona

Abortion rights supporters in Arizona, a key battleground state in the presidential election, are vying to pass a measure that would enshrine the right to abortion until fetal viability, or about 24 weeks, in the state constitution. Abortion is currently banned in the state after 15 weeks.

Colorado

Colorado’s measure, which needs to garner 55% of the vote, would amend the state constitution to block the state government from denying, impeding or discriminating against individuals’ “right to abortion”. There is currently no gestational limit on the right to abortion in the state.

Florida

Florida’s measure would roll back the state’s six-week ban by adding the right to an abortion up until viability to the state’s constitution. It needs 60% of the vote to pass.

Maryland

Legislators, rather than citizens, initiated Maryland’s measure, which would amend the state constitution to confirm individuals’ “right to reproductive freedom, including but not limited to the ability to make and effectuate decisions to prevent, continue, or end the individual’s pregnancy”. There is currently no gestational limit on the right to abortion in the state.

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Missouri

Voters will decide whether to overturn the state’s current, near-total abortion ban and establish a constitutional guarantee to the “fundamental right to reproductive freedom”, including abortion care until fetal viability.

Montana

Abortion in Montana is currently legal. If passed, the measure would amend the state constitution to explicitly include “a right to make and carry out decisions about one’s own pregnancy, including the right to abortion” up until fetal viability, or after viability to protect a patient’s life or health.

Nebraska

Nebraska is the lone state with two competing ballot measures. If both measures pass, the measure that garners the most votes would take effect.

The first would enshrine the right to abortion up until viability into the state constitution.

The second would enshrine the current 12-week ban.

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Nevada

Nevada’s measure would amend the state constitution to protect the right to abortion up until viability, or after viability in cases where a patient’s health or life may be threatened.

New York

New York state legislators added a measure to the ballot to broaden the state’s anti-discrimination laws by adding, among other things, protections against discrimination on the basis of “sex, including sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, pregnancy, pregnancy outcomes, and reproductive health”. It does not explicitly reference abortion, but advocates say its pregnancy-related language encompasses abortion protections. Abortion is protected in New York until fetal viability.

South Dakota

South Dakota’s measure is less sweeping than other abortion rights measures, because it would only protect the right to abortion in the first trimester of pregnancy. Although this measure will appear on the ballot, there will be a trial over the validity of the signatures that were collected for it. Depending out the outcome of the trial, the measure – and any votes cast for it – could be invalidated.

Abortion is on the ballot in 10 states. Here’s where the measures stand https://t.co/jE19dxmky7

— The Hill (@thehill) November 5, 2024

In this year's election, voters in 10 states will decide on abortion-related measures, the biggest push for restoring reproductive rights at the ballot box since Roe v. Wade was overturned in the summer of 2022.

Follow live election updates: https://t.co/qQgiSrPhph

— World News Tonight (@ABCWorldNews) November 5, 2024

Per CBS News:

In the wake of the Supreme Court’s 2022 decision overturning Roe v. Wade, which had established the right to an abortion in the U.S. Constitution, abortion rights groups have turned to ballot initiatives to put the issue of reproductive rights squarely before voters.

Proponents have already seen successes with this approach in 2022 and 2023, when there were abortion-related initiatives on the ballot in seven states.

If the latest ballot measures are successful in expanding abortion access, they would override stringent bans on the procedure in five states. Roughly two dozen states have enacted abortion restrictions after Roe was reversed, and 14 of those states have near-total bans with limited exceptions.

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