Abortion on the Ballot
Since the U.S. Supreme Court eliminated the constitutional right to abortion, voters have come out and shown strong support for reproductive freedom. Voters in more states will get to weigh in this November.
Since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade and eliminated the constitutional right to abortion in 2022, voters have come out strongly in support of reproductive freedom. So far abortion-related measures have been on the ballot in seven states, and in each election, voters rejected attempts by extremist politicians to interfere with their personal health care decisions.
This November, voters will have a chance to weigh in on abortion rights in several more states.
Read more.
“Ballot Initiatives that Protect Abortion Rights Depend on Fair State Courts”
Read this article from the Center’s Amy Myrick and Alexander Wilson about the need for state courts to enforce new amendments against ongoing assaults on reproductive freedom.
2024: Voters to Decide
As of now, there are five states that will have constitutional amendments on their ballots this year that protect abortion in some way:
- Colorado: The Colorado Right to Abortion and Health Insurance Coverage Initiative would create a constitutional right to abortion and remove the state’s public funding ban.
- Florida: The state’s citizen-led ballot initiative, the Amendment to Limit Government Interference with Abortion, would create a constitutional amendment to protect Floridians’ freedom to access abortion.
- Maryland: Maryland voters will have the opportunity to cast their ballot on the Reproductive Freedom referendum, which would amend the state’s constitution to ensure that everyone has the fundamental right to reproductive freedom, including the right to abortion access and birth control.
- New York: The New York State Equal Rights Amendment would add protections for people who experience discrimination and explicitly prohibit discrimination by the government based on pregnancy and pregnancy outcomes. It would also protect against any government actions that would curtail a person’s reproductive autonomy or their access to reproductive health care.
- South Dakota: Abortion is currently illegal in South Dakota, but its citizens are seeking to change that with the South Dakota Freedom Amendment. The measure would “restore protections of Roe v. Wade” and establish a right to abortion before 12 weeks of pregnancy.
The Forward Fight for Reproductive Freedom
Two years ago, the U.S. Supreme Court eliminated the constitutional right to abortion. Learn more about the fight to reclaim our rights.
So Far, Seven Wins, No Losses
Abortion-related ballot initiatives were on the ballot in seven states in 2022 and 2023—and in all seven states, voters sided in favor of abortion rights.
Voters in four of those states approved proactive constitutional amendments enshrining reproductive freedom in their state constitutions:
>> Ohio >> Michigan >> California >> Vermont
Voters defeated anti-abortion ballot measures in three states:
>> Kansas >> Kentucky >> Montana
Check back with the Center for more news on 2024 abortion-related ballot measures!