A battle over abortion rights is playing out in several states Tuesday as voters decide 145 proposed laws and constitutional amendments, including some that could affect voting for future elections.
The ballot measures provide a political undercard for a high-profile midterm election that will determine which party controls Congress, state legislatures and gubernatorial offices in many states.
Some measures put President Donald Trump’s priorities to a public test by gauging support for his attempts to reshape congressional districts, limit transgender athletes in sports and strengthen voter identification requirements.
Two years ago, Missouri voters became the first in the nation to pass a ballot measure undoing an existing ban on most abortions. Now voters are deciding whether to repeal the 2024 abortion rights amendment and replace it with a new prohibition — this time allowing exceptions for medical emergencies and fetal anomalies, and in cases of rape or incest up to 12 weeks of pregnancy. The proposed ban was placed on the ballot by the Republican-led Legislature. Abortion rights advocates, led by national progressive groups, have greatly outspent abortion foes in a bid to defeat the measure. In three other states, ballot measures would create a right to abortion using standards similar to what was in place nationally before the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022 and opened the door to state bans. Ballot measures in Idaho and Nevada would block bans on abortion before fetal viability, usually considered after 21 weeks. Nevada voters already approved the measure once but have to do so a second time for it to become official.
Source link







