In addition to choosing their future president, voters in ten American states also voted on a burning and divisive issue: the right to abortion. Since the repeal of Roe v. Wade in 2022 by the Supreme Court, each state decides its own policy, and some have incorporated referendums on abortion directly into their ballot.
Ten states vote on abortion
Some states have asked voters to vote for or against easing restrictions. In Florida, for example, a measure aimed to repeal the ban on abortion after six weeks. Voters rejected this amendment, thus maintaining this ban put in place by Governor Ron DeSantis. The adoption threshold, set at 60%, was not reached, and in this conservative state, Donald Trump, a Florida resident, spoke out publicly against the measure.
In Arizona, the question concerns the inclusion of the right to abortion up to 24 weeks in the state constitution. This would be a major change, in a context where abortion is currently limited to 15 weeks.
Protecting access to abortion through the constitution
Colorado, New York, South Dakota, Nevada and Maryland are proposing to add broader constitutional protections preventing governments from restricting this access. Colorado, where no gestational limit is set, hopes to guarantee this freedom. Missouri and Montana propose to incorporate the right to abortion into their constitutions until the viability of the fetus, with exceptions to protect the health of the mother.
Finally, in Nebraska, the choice is complex, with two opposing measures: one would protect the right to abortion until viability, while the other would establish a ban after 12 weeks.
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The national issue of referendums
These votes are being closely scrutinized because they will provide clues about the impact of the repeal of Roe v. Wade on American political views. Even if some amendments pass, legal and legislative challenges could arise and delay their implementation.
In Pennsylvania, a key state in this presidential election, voters cited democracy and the economy as their main criteria, according to an NBC News poll. However, priorities diverge between supporters of Kamala Harris and those of Donald Trump: for the former, the defense of democracy comes first, followed closely by the right to abortion, while for the latter, the economy and immigration are priorities. In Pennsylvania, the outcome of this election could swing to one side or the other and profoundly influence federal policy.
