Seven ballot measures across the country in support of reproductive rights passed in the November elections, including three in our region. Still, access to reproductive care remains a patchwork across the country and among Mountain West states.
Caroline Mello Roberson is Director of State Campaigns with Reproductive Freedom for All. She said voters see the issue as being about basic health care for women.
“Ballot initiatives showed the power of abortion being on the ballot,” Roberson said. “And we know that the promise of reproductive healthcare is one we’re going to have to continue to fight for.
“I think that it's important to know that holistic care is under attack and that’s why we want to use the power of local government to do everything to strengthen that.”
In our region, three measures passed:
- Arizona’s initiative allows abortion up to “fetal viability,” about 24 weeks.
- Colorado’s measure enshrines abortion into the state constitution and allows insurance coverage for the procedure for government employees.
- Nevada’s initiative passed by a majority of voters. That proposal would guarantee the right to an abortion in the state constitution. State law requires voters to approve the measure in two consecutive elections, so it will appear again in 2026.
However, abortion still remains restricted in many other western states, such as Wyoming and Idaho.In Idaho, a trigger law went into effect in 2022, which effectively bans abortion in all cases in the state. In Wyoming, the gestational limit is “fetal viability.”
In other parts of the country, abortion access was supported by 57% of Floridians but it did not meet the 60% threshold required to pass a constitutional amendment in that state.
Missouri is positioned to be the first state where a vote will undo a ban that’s already in place. Voters there approved an amendment to overturn the state’s abortion ban with a 52% yes vote. The repeal isn’t automatic, though; advocates have to ask the court to overturn laws to square with the new amendment.
According to the Associated Press, close to half of all voters said reproductive rights was an important factor but not the most important issue.
Polling by Pew Research Center found the gender gap was not as pronounced on this issue: 61% of men voted to support abortion access compared with 64% of women.
This story was produced by the Mountain West News Bureau, a collaboration between Wyoming Public Media, Nevada Public Radio (KNPR) in Las Vegas, Boise State Public Radio in Idaho, KUNR in Nevada, KUNC in Colorado and KANW in New Mexico, with support from affiliate stations across the region. Funding for the Mountain West News Bureau is provided in part by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.
