Montana, Colorado, Nevada, Maryland, And New York Back Abortion Rights
Although abortions were already legal in those states, passage of the measures was intended to make it more difficult for legislatures to adopt bans in the future. Elsewhere, voters in Amarillo, Texas, overwhelmingly rejected a proposed abortion travel ban.
NBC News:
Montana Voters Approve Constitutional Right To Abortion
Montana voters approved a ballot measure enshrining abortion in the state constitution, NBC News projects, delivering a victory to advocates for reproductive rights in a Western red state. The amendment will not change current law on abortion in Montana: Abortion is legal in the state until fetal viability, around the 23rd or 24th week of pregnancy, backed up by a 1999 ruling by the state Supreme Court. But advocates for the ballot measure wanted to guard against potential changes by the Legislature or state Supreme Court justices in the heavily Republican state. (Arkin, 11/6)
Colorado Sun:
Colorado Will Protect Abortion In State Constitution, Allow Public Spending On Procedure
Colorado voted Tuesday to preserve abortion access in the state constitution and lifted a 40-year-old ban on using government money to pay for abortions. In Colorado, one of a handful of states where there are no restrictions on when during a pregnancy abortions are allowed, the amendment prevents the legislature from adopting abortion restrictions. Abortion has been legal in Colorado since 1967. The amendment also strips from the Colorado Constitution a ban on using public money to pay for abortions. That prohibition was passed by Colorado voters in 1984. (Brown, 11/5)
The Nevada Independent:
Nevadans Vote To Enshrine Abortion Rights In Constitution, But It Needs Approval In 2026
Nevadans have overwhelmingly voted to enshrine abortion rights in the state’s Constitution, where they would be harder to undo. The approval of Question 6, which asked voters whether the Nevada Constitution should include a fundamental right to abortion, means that the Constitution will be amended if a majority of voters also approve it in 2026. The question would not change abortion access in the state, but it would make it harder for existing protections — allowing abortion up through 24 weeks into a pregnancy — to be overturned. The current law can be overturned by a one-time majority vote of the people, but if the protections are enshrined in the state Constitution, it would take two majority votes for a change to occur. (Neugeboren, 11/5)
NPR:
Abortion Will Be Protected In The Maryland State Constitution
Marylanders voted to protect reproductive rights in the state constitution Tuesday, according to a call by the Associated Press. Abortion is already legal in the state. By approving the amendment, though, voters have made it extremely difficult for lawmakers in the future to pass a law that could limit reproductive care without violating the state constitution. (Maucione, 11/5)
The New York Times:
New Yorkers Pass An Equal Rights Amendment Tied To Abortion Access
A ballot measure in New York designed to safeguard protections for abortion and for those most vulnerable to discrimination passed overwhelmingly on Tuesday, according to The Associated Press. The measure, known as Proposition 1 and the Equal Rights Amendment, was intended to codify abortion rights in the State Constitution by including “pregnancy, pregnancy outcomes and reproductive health care and autonomy” as a protected class. (Ashford, 11/5)
Also —
The Texas Tribune:
Amarillo Voters Reject Abortion “Travel Ban,” A Rare Rebuke Of Anti-Abortion Movement In Texas
Amarillo voters on Tuesday resoundingly rejected a proposal that would have effectively made it illegal to use local streets and highways to obtain an out-of-state abortion — a stunning rebuke in a deeply conservative portion of the state for anti-abortion advocates that first proposed the idea. The proposal, known as Proposition A, lost by about 20 percentage points Tuesday night, according to unofficial votes. Amarillo became the first Texas city to reject an anti-abortion ordinance placed on a citywide ballot. (Carver, 11/5)
