Missouri gets permission to overturn abortion ban, Florida maintains its ban

Voters in Missouri cleared the way to overturn one of the nation’s most restrictive abortion bans in one of seven victories for abortion rights advocates, while Florida, Nebraska and South Dakota rejected similar constitutional amendments and left the bans in place.

Abortion rights amendments have also passed in Arizona, Colorado, Maryland and Montana. Nevada voters also approved an amendment, but they will have to approve it again in 2026 for it to take effect. Another banning discrimination based on “pregnancy results” made the rounds in New York.

The results include firsts for the abortion landscape, which underwent a seismic shift in 2022 when the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, a ruling that ended a nationwide right to abortion and paved the way for bans to take effect in the most Republican-controlled countries. states.

They also participated in the same election in which Republican Donald Trump won the presidency. Among his inconsistent positions on abortion is his insistence that it is an issue best left to the states. Yet the president can have a major impact on abortion policy through executive action.

In the meantime, Missouri is positioned to be the first state where a vote will overturn a ban on abortion at all stages of pregnancy, with an amendment that would allow lawmakers to limit abortions only beyond the point at which the fetus is viable is – usually considered after 21 weeks, although there is no precisely defined time frame.

But the ban and other restrictive laws are not automatically repealed. Advocates must now ask the courts to overturn laws that comply with the new amendment.

“Today, Missourians made history and sent a clear message: decisions surrounding pregnancy, including abortion, contraception and miscarriage care, are personal and private and should be left to patients and their families, not politicians,” said Rachel Sweet, Campaign Manager of Missourians for Constitutional Freedom, a statement said.

About half of Missouri voters said abortion should be legal in all or most cases, according to AP VoteCast, a survey of more than 2,200 voters in the state. But only about 1 in 10 said abortion should be illegal in all cases; almost 4 in 10 people believe abortion should be illegal in most cases.

Bans remain in effect in three states after the votes

Florida, Nebraska and South Dakota became the first states since Roe was overturned where abortion opponents prevailed in a ballot measure. Most voters supported the measure in Florida, but it fell short of the 60% required to pass constitutional amendments in the state. Most states require a simple majority.

The result was a political victory for Governor Ron DeSantis, a Republican with a national profile who had directed public funds to the cause. His administration has also done its part with a campaign against the measure, with investigators questioning people who signed petitions to add the measure to the ballot and threatening TV stations that aired a commercial supporting the measure.

Marjorie Dannenfelser, president of the national anti-abortion group SBA Pro-Life America, said in a statement that the outcome is “a momentous victory for life in Florida and for our entire country,” and praised DeSantis for leading the charge against the measure.

The defeat marks a lasting change in the Southern abortion landscape that began when the state’s six-week ban went into effect in May. That removed Florida as an abortion destination for many women from nearby states with deeper bans and also led to many more out-of-state women traveling to obtain abortions. The closest states with looser restrictions are North Carolina and Virginia — hundreds of miles away.

“The reality is that because of the Florida Constitution, a minority of Florida voters have decided that Amendment 4 will not pass,” said Lauren Brenzel, campaign manager for the Yes on 4 Campaign, as she wiped away tears. “The reality is that a majority of Floridians just voted to end Florida’s abortion ban.”

In South Dakota, another state with a ban on abortion during pregnancy with few exceptions, the defeat of an abortion measure was more decisive. It would have allowed for a number of rules regarding the woman’s health after twelve weeks. Because of that wrinkle, most national abortion rights groups did not support it.

Nebraska voters passed a measure that would allow for more abortion restrictions and enshrine the state’s current 12-week ban, and rejected a competing measure that would have guaranteed abortion rights.

Other states guaranteed abortion rights

Arizona’s amendment would replace the current law banning abortion after the first 15 weeks of pregnancy. The new measure ensures access to abortion until it is viable. A ballot measure there gained momentum after a state Supreme Court ruling in April ruled that the state could enforce a strict 1864 abortion ban. Some Republican lawmakers joined Democrats in repealing the law before it could be enforced.

In Maryland, the abortion rights amendment is a legal change that will make no immediate difference to abortion access in a state that already allows it.

It’s a similar situation in Montana, where abortion is already legal until viable.

The Colorado measure exceeded the 55% of support needed to pass. In addition to enshrining access, it also reverses a previous amendment banning the use of state and local government funding for abortion, opening the possibility of state insurance for Medicaid and government employees to cover care.

A New York equal rights law has also been passed that the abortion rights group says will strengthen abortion rights. It does not include the word “abortion,” but rather prohibits discrimination based on “pregnancy outcomes and reproductive health care and autonomy.” Sasha Ahuja, campaign director for New Yorkers for Equal Rights, called the outcome “a monumental victory for all New Yorkers” and a vote against opponents who she said used misleading parental rights and anti-trans messaging to thwart the measure.

The results end a winning streak for abortion rights advocates

Until Tuesday, abortion rights advocates had prevailed on all seven measures that have appeared on ballots across the state since the fall of Roe.

The abortion rights campaigns have a major fundraising advantage this year. Their opponents’ efforts are aimed at portraying the amendments as too extreme rather than abortion as immoral.

Currently, 13 states enforce bans at all stages of pregnancy, with some exceptions. Four additional abortions in most cases after about six weeks of pregnancy – before women often realize they are pregnant. Despite the bans, the number of monthly abortions in the US has increased slightly, due to the increasing use of abortion pills and organized efforts to help women travel for abortions. Still, advocates say the bans have reduced access, especially for lower-income and minority residents of the states with bans.

The issue resonates with voters. About a quarter said abortion policy was the single most important factor in their voting outcome, according to AP VoteCast, a comprehensive survey of more than 110,000 voters nationwide. Nearly half said this was an important factor, but not the most important. Just over 1 in 10 said it was a minor factor.

The outcomes of ballot initiatives aimed at overturning strict abortion bans in Florida and Missouri were very important to a majority of voters in the states. More than half of Florida voters called the amendment’s outcome very important, while about 6 in 10 Missouri voters said the same, the survey found.

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Associated Press reporters Hannah Fingerhut and Amanda Seitz contributed to this article.