How the map of abortion access in the US has been dramatically redrawn β after shocking twists in deep-red states
It wasn’t just Donald Trump or Kamala Harris on the agenda last night; there were also important referendums on abortion.
Americans in ten states have had their say on whether to enshrine abortion rights in their local constitutions, and the results have dramatically redrawn the map of abortion access in the US.
Voters approved the ballot measures in seven states β including deep red areas like Missouri, where women can now have an abortion at about 23 weeks β while three rejected them, including South Dakota, where the only exception to an abortion is saving the life of is a woman. the woman.
The new votes mean that 30 states and the District of Columbia will allow abortion up to 18 weeks of pregnancy, while 20 states limit the procedure during early pregnancy or ban abortion entirely.
There are nine states without gestational age limits, including Oregon, Michigan and New Jersey, meaning doctors in these states can perform late-stage abortions.
On the other hand, there are twelve states with near-total abortion bans, including Texas, Idaho, and West Virginia.
Dr. Lisa Harris, a gynecologist and professor at the University of Michigan told NPR that the changing legislative landscape is confusing for both healthcare providers and patients, and makes reproductive care more challenging in general.
Dr. Harris said: ‘It’s very scary and confusing for doctors and the whole team that cares for patients to know what we can do, what’s OK and what’s not OK.’
The issue of abortion came to the attention of the states in 2022 when the Supreme Court struck down the nation’s right to abortion in the case of Dobbs v. Jackson.
The decision set off a flurry of actions by individual states to protect or restrict access to abortion.
When the issue was put before voters in states like Kansas, it became clear that it doesn’t always fall along party lines.
Experts say yesterday’s voting measures were also surprising. we look at how all 10 states voted below:
Missouri – allowed up to 24 weeks
In The Show-Me State, when Roe v. Wade was overturned, a 2019 law went into effect banning abortions except in cases of medical emergency. Violation of the law carried a prison sentence of five to fifteen years.
But on the 2024 ballot, Missourians approved an amendment to their Constitution guaranteeing βthe right to make and enforce decisions on all matters relating to reproductive health care.β
This includes allowing abortions up to the point of viability, which doctors place around 24 weeks.
Florida β despite the majority vote, the six-week ban remains in effect
In the Sunshine State, abortion was made illegal by a Heartbeat Protection Act, which bans most abortions after six weeks of pregnancy.
Advocates sought to expand access with a ballot initiative that would have codified the right to abortion in the state constitution.
But there was a threshold built into the initiative, meaning it had to get at least 60 percent of the vote to pass.
So even though a majority of voters, 57 percent in total, were in favor of the initiative, it did not pass.
Therefore, abortion after six weeks is still illegal, except in cases where the fetus has fatal abnormalities or the mother suffers from emergency complications.
South Dakota – almost total ban
In South Dakota, voters moved to reject an initiative that would have expanded abortion rights.
After the Dobbs ruling in 2022, a law came into effect banning all abortions unless the life of the pregnant woman was in danger.
The 2024 measure would have enshrined the right to abortion during the first trimester of pregnancy in the Mount Rushmore state constitution. A majority of voters, 59 percent, voted against the amendment.
This means that the state’s near-total ban on abortion will remain in place.
Nevada – allowed up to 24 weeks
In 1990, Nevada passed a law guaranteeing abortions up to 24 weeks of pregnancy, so citizens could have access to the medical procedure even after the Dobbs decision in 2022.
Still, abortion rights activists moved to put the issue before voters to guarantee access to the medical procedure in the state constitution.
Sixty-three percent of Nevada voters approved the measure, which anchors the right to abortion until the viability of the fetus, approximately 24 weeks.
However, they will have to vote on the issue again in 2026 to officially amend the constitution, according to state law.
Arizona – allowed up to 24 weeks
Abortion rights in Arizona have been on the decline in recent years. In April 2024, the state Supreme Court upheld a total ban on abortion originally implemented during the Civil War.
State senators prevented the law from taking effect, but the situation mobilized abortion activists in the state, who added a ballot measure to the 2024 elections.
Arizona voters approved the ballot measure, approving an amendment to the state constitution that protects abortion up to 24 weeks.
Nebraska – twelve week suspension
In Nebraska, there were two opposing ballot measures in the 2024 election.
Initiative 439 would have added the right to abortion up to 24 weeks to the state constitution.
About 51 percent of voters opposed the amendment, so it did not pass.
By contrast, Initiative 434, which enshrines the current twelve-week ban in the constitution, won 55 percent of voters.
The 12-week ban, which falls within the first trimester, was originally signed by Governor Jim Pillen in May 2023.
This means that in Nebraska, abortions are prohibited after the first trimester unless someone is in a medical emergency or the pregnancy is the result of rape or incest.
Montana – allowed up to 24 weeks
Montanans had the right to an abortion before the election because of a 1999 Supreme Court ruling.
However, state lawmakers have since challenged this precedent a number of times, passing laws banning abortion and eliminating Medicaid coverage for the procedure.
In the 2024 election, 58 percent of voters approved a ballot initiative to amend the state constitution. The amendment states that it “expressly provides for the right to make and carry out decisions about one’s own pregnancy, including the right to abortion.”
This protection extends to 24 weeks of pregnancy, but allows medical professionals to carry out a pregnancy beyond that threshold in medically necessary cases.
New York – maximum 24 weeks allowed
As in Nevada, New Yorkers’ abortion laws have not been challenged in recent years. Still, reproductive rights groups mobilized to put the issue before the people with proposal one.
The proposal added language to the state constitution’s equal protection clause regarding pregnancy. It states that a person may not be discriminated against or denied rights because of: ‘pregnancy, pregnancy outcomes and reproductive health care and autonomy.’
Voters approved the addition, which preserved abortion rights in the state up to 24 weeks of pregnancy. The state also allows abortion after 24 weeks if the woman’s life is in danger.
Maryland – unlimited allowed
In Maryland, 74 percent of voters approved a measure to add reproductive protections to their constitution.
This strengthens the access women in the state already had to abortion.
The Old Line State has been progressive with its abortion protections in recent years, even passing shield laws that protect abortion providers in the state from prosecution by other states.
Colorado – unlimited allowed
Abortion is widely protected in the Centennial State. Still, there were concerns that local governments in more rural parts of the state were beginning to restrict access to the procedure. according to NPR.
Therefore, the issue was put to the voters. About 61 percent of voters in the Centennial State voted to approve Amendment 79, surpassing the required 55 percent.
The amendment essentially adopts a 2022 law signed by Governor Jared Polis that enshrines the right to abortion without pregnancy limits and allows Medicaid to cover the procedure.