Missouri voters may be faced with a decision this autumn on whether to continue banning abortions or to enact a constitutional amendment that ensures abortion rights up until later stages of a woman’s pregnancy. The secretary of state’s office had a deadline on Tuesday to verify if an abortion-rights initiative gathered enough valid petition signatures to be included on the November ballot, which could potentially overturn existing state restrictions if approved by the majority of voters.
Supporters of the abortion-rights initiative are optimistic about its chances of making it to the ballot as they submitted more than double the required number of signatures. Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft is also assessing if there are adequate signatures to hold November elections on initiatives including raising the state’s minimum wage to $15 an hour, legalizing sports betting, and permitting a casino at the Lake of the Ozarks.
Several states, including Missouri, are set to vote on abortion rights during the upcoming presidential election. Following the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in 2022, a state-by-state legislative battle has ensued around abortion rights. Most Republican-led states have implemented new abortion restrictions, while Democratic-led states have enacted measures to safeguard abortion access.
In previous ballot measures since 2022, abortion-rights advocates have emerged victorious in California, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Montana, Ohio, and Vermont. The overturning of the nationwide right to abortion in 2022 led to a Missouri law banning abortions except in cases of a medical emergency, with stringent penalties for violating the law.
Despite the restrictions, individuals from Missouri can still seek abortions at out-of-state clinics in states like Illinois and Kansas. The Missouri ballot measure would grant the right to abortion until the fetus is likely able to survive outside the womb without extensive medical intervention. It would also allow abortions after viability if deemed necessary by a healthcare professional to protect the pregnant woman’s life or health.
The trend of states considering abortion ballot measures may expand, with Montana and Nebraska yet to confirm if proposed abortion-rights initiatives qualify for a vote in November. Nebraska is also reviewing a rival constitutional amendment that would codify the state’s current ban on most abortions after 12 weeks of pregnancy.