Ten states held direct votes on abortion-related legislation Tuesday, with abortion advocates claiming seven victories.
Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Maryland, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New York, Nevada, and South Dakota all polled on the issue, and most of the ballot measures calling for amendment efforts passed in Republican-led states where their leaders moved. It is done. Roe v. Restricts abortion following the Supreme Court’s June 2022 decision in Wade.
Missouri voters voted to close the state’s nearly sweeping restrictions, one of the strictest in the country, with an amendment that would allow lawmakers to restrict abortions after a fetus is considered viable (generally considered after 21 weeks). It paved the way for the ban to be overturned. There is no precisely defined period.
Abortion rights amendments also passed in Arizona, Colorado, Maryland and Montana, according to the Associated Press. Montana voted to amend the state constitution to “explicitly provide for the right to make and exercise decisions regarding one’s own pregnancy, including the right to abortion.”
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Attendees at Ann’s election night watch party react after passage of the abortion rights amendment to the state constitution on November 5, 2024, in Kansas City, Missouri. (AP Photo/Charlie Riddell)
Nevada voters also approved the amendment, but they must pass it again in 2026 for it to take effect.
In New York, another bill was passed banning discrimination based on “pregnancy outcome.” It does not include the word ‘abortion’, but rather prohibits discrimination on the basis of ‘pregnancy outcome, reproductive health care and autonomy.’
In Arizona, voters were asked to amend the state constitution to allow abortions up to 24 weeks. The bill sets out the “fundamental right” to abortion before the fetus is viable, if there is a “substantial chance” the fetus will survive outside the womb.
This amendment replaces current law that prohibits abortion after the first 15 weeks of pregnancy.
The 1864 law, long dormant before Arizona became a state, went into effect in the Grand Canyon State after Roe v. Wade was repealed in 2022, putting the issue in the spotlight and leading to Tuesday’s vote. This law made no exceptions for rape and incest and only applied to the life of the mother, until it was repealed last September.
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Governor Ron DeSantis speaks about Amendment 4 at Grove Bible Chapel in Winter Garden, Florida, on October 22, 2024. (WOFL)
Florida, Nebraska and South Dakota invalidated similar constitutional amendments and left existing restrictions in place.
With more than 13 million registered voters, Florida was the most populous state to decide on abortion action. Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis signed the Heartbeat Protection Act last year, restricting most abortions after six weeks of pregnancy.
This year, Floridians voted for Amendment 4, an abortion rights initiative that aims to overturn the law by banning measures that restrict abortion. In Florida, a constitutional amendment requires 60% of the vote to pass, not a simple majority. Amendment 4 received majority support among voters but failed to meet the 60% threshold.
South Dakota voters defeated an abortion bill, banning some regulations related to women’s health 12 weeks later. Mount Rushmore The state currently prohibits abortion during pregnancy, with some exceptions.
Ten states held direct votes on abortion-related measures Tuesday, with abortion advocates claiming seven victories. (AP)
Nebraska voted to pass an amendment banning abortion after the first three months of pregnancy.
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Tuesday’s results ended a winning streak for abortion rights advocates, who had won all seven measures that appeared on the statewide ballot since Roe’s fall.
According to a Fox News poll conducted this year, a record number of voters now say they support legalizing abortion in some form. Two-thirds of them said they support nationwide legislation guaranteeing women’s access to abortion.
59% said abortion should be legal in “all or most cases.” This is an increase from the previous high of 57% in September 2022.
Fox News’ Danielle Wallace, Breanne Deppisch, Emma Colton and the Associated Press contributed to this report.
