How Abortion Ballots Fared in the 2024 Election

Election Day has officially come and gone, and reproductive rights were on the ballot this year in 10 states. Voters in Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Maryland, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New York, and South Dakota had a say in the future of their reproductive access thanks to additional ballot initiatives in the wake of the Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization Supreme Court decision two years ago that overturned Roe v. Wade. And despite the presidential race results, huge strides were still made towards equal abortion access and care in 7 of those 10 states.

Here is what you should know about how abortion rights fared in the 2024 election.

Arizona: Voted to Protect Abortion Access The state passed Proposition 139, which is set to overturn a current law that bans abortions after the first 15 weeks of pregnancy. This means individuals are now promised abortion access until viability (around 24 weeks).

FYI: the ballot measure in Arizona gained traction after a state Supreme Court ruling in April 2024 found it could enforce a long-dormant law from 1864 that criminalized all abortions except when a pregnant person's life was compromised. State lawmakers voted on a bill to repeal it by September, per the AP .

Democratic Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs originally signed the bill in May and made the following in a statement: "I will continue doing everything in my power to protect reproductive freedoms, because I trust women to make the decisions that are best for them, and know politicians do not belong in the doctor's office."

Colorado: Voted to Protect Abortion Access Colorado will enshrine abortion laws in its state constitution because Amendment 79 exceeded the 55 percent of support required to pass. The amendment to the state constitution says the government "shall not deny, impede, or discriminate against the exercise of the right to abortion, including prohibiting health insurance coverage for abortion."

The move also undoes an earlier amendment that "barred using state and local government funding for abortion, opening the possibility of state Medicaid and government employee insurance plans covering care," according to PBS .

New York: Voted to Protect Abortion Access The state will maintain current abortion access and enshrine it in New York's state constitution by way of an equal rights amendment that was passed this week (aka Proposition 1). Though it doesn't actually contain the word "abortion," Prop. 1 does confirm no one can face discrimination on the basis of—among other things—"sex, including sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, pregnancy, pregnancy outcomes, and reproductive healthcare and autonomy."

Maryland: Voted to Protect Abortion AccessBallot Question 1 (aka the Right to Reproductive Freedom Amendment) in Maryland asked voters whether the state should add "a new section to the constitution to confirm the fundamental right to reproductive freedom around decisions to prevent, continue, or end pregnancy," per NBC .

It passed during the 2024 election and not only ensures the state's citizens will maintain their current abortion access, but also that "the ability to make and effectuate decisions to prevent, continue, or end one's own pregnancy" is sanctified.

Missouri: Voted to End Ban and Protect Abortion Access In Missouri, the race to pass Amendment 3 was tight (51.7 percent voted in favor of the measure, while 48.3 percent voted against it), but abortion access was ultimately protected. The victory is a huge accomplishment given it will expand access to abortion up until fetal viability. (Abortion in Missouri was previously banned with no exceptions for rape or incest.)

Amendment 3 makes Missouri the first state to reverse a near-total abortion ban and officially codifies the right to reproductive freedom, which is defined as "the right to make and carry out decisions about all matters relating to reproductive health care." It prohibits "any regulation of abortion, including regulations designed to protect women undergoing abortions and prohibit any civil or criminal recourse against anyone who performs an abortion and hurts or kills the pregnant women," according to the secretary of state's office . (It also protects those seeking or providing care from government discrimination.)

"Today, Missourians made history and sent a clear message: decisions around pregnancy, including abortion, birth control, and miscarriage care are personal and private and should be left up to patients and their families, not politicians," Campaign Manager of Missourians for Constitutional Freedom Rachel Sweet said in a statement following the news.

Montana: Voted to Protect Abortion Access Abortion is currently legal through viability in Montana, but the Right to Abortion Initiative's (CI-128) passing will sustain the right to the procedure by enshrining a 1999 state Supreme Court ruling that pre-viability abortions fall under a constitutional "right to privacy." (FYI: Republican Governor Greg Gianforte signed a law in 2023 that said access to an abortion was no longer protected under the right of privacy in the state's constitution.)

Nevada: Took the First Step in Voting to Protect Abortion Access Voters in Nevada approved a measure titled Question 6 that is a step towards codifying previously-existing state laws into the state constitution that allow abortions up to 24 weeks into pregnancy.

This is only step one, though. In order to officially amend Nevada's state constitution, a simple majority vote in two consecutive elections is required. This means the same measurement will need to be approved again in 2026.

Florida, South Dakota, and Nebraska: Voted Against Protecting Abortion Access Three of the 10 states with abortion rights on the ballot became the first in the United States since SCOTUS overturned Roe v. Wade where abortion opponents triumphed on ballot measures.

Florida: The state's six-week ban is set to remain in place. Despite the majority of voters showing out and supporting Amendment 4—which would have granted the right to an abortion before the point of viability to the state's constitution and allowed for abortions later in an individual's pregnancy if their doctor deemed it necessary— it ultimately fell short of the required 60 percent to pass constitutional amendments in the state.

South Dakota: The state will continue its ban on abortions with an exception to save the life of a pregnant person. The failed Amendment G would have established "a constitutional right to an abortion," for any reason during the first trimester. The measure additionally called for the regulation of abortion after that point.

Nebraska: Voters in the state were in the unique position of choosing between two abortion-related ballot measures. Ultimately, citizens chose to adopt the former Protect Women and Children Amendment (Initiative 434), a measure that will limit abortion access by creating restrictions and also uphold the state's current 12-week ban.