With a petition filed Monday, a referendum on enshrining abortion rights in the Nevada constitution is one step closer to the state’s November 2024 ballot.
Proponents say existing state law protecting abortion access up to six months is not enough to safeguard what they see as an essential right.
Nevada law requires a petition with at least 102,000 signatures in order to place a referendum on the general election ballot. Nevadans for Reproductive Freedom collected roughly 200,000 signatures for its petition and submitted it to state election officials.
Lindsey Harmon, the group’s president, says voters in the state are eager to show their support for abortion rights.
“These are rights that are about control over your own body, your bodily autonomy, choices about when and how to start a family, and so they belong in the constitution.”
Voters approved the state statute protecting abortions up to 24 weeks in 1990.
Since 2022, when the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v, Wade, voters in seven states have sided with abortion rights supporters on ballot measures.
