Nevada, Virginia expand abortion rights; Missouri rejects repeal as Idaho keeps its ban

A record 11 statewide abortion measures were decided in 2024

Reproductive rights were on the ballot in Tuesday’s midterm election as voters weighed in on several abortion-related measures, delivering what The Guardian described as a largely successful night for reproductive-rights advocates encompassed by a historic blue wave. Constitutional amendments protecting abortion access passed in Nevada and Virginia. Missouri voters turned back an effort to overturn the reproductive-freedom protections they had approved in 2024, and Idaho voters declined to repeal the state’s abortion ban.

In Nevada, voters approved Question 6 after a second referendum on the measure, enshrining abortion rights in the state constitution and permanently protecting access to abortion through the second trimester. The amendment establishes a “fundamental right to abortion” and was leading 62.3% to 37.7% with 86% of Nevada votes counted when the Associated Press called the race. It allows the state to regulate abortion after viability, except when medically necessary to “protect the life or health of the pregnant patient.”

Virginia voters approved a constitutional amendment establishing a “fundamental right to reproductive freedom.” The measure protects access to abortion during the first two trimesters of pregnancy and permits government regulation in the third trimester while preserving access when necessary to protect the life or health of the pregnant woman. It also establishes rights to contraception and fertility care, among other protections.

In Missouri, voters rejected an effort to overturn the constitutional right to reproductive freedom they had approved in 2024. Amendment 3, which would have repealed those protections, restricted abortion, and prohibited gender transition surgeries and certain other procedures for minors, failed by a margin of 55% to 45%. The Republican-led legislature placed the proposal on the ballot. It would have banned abortion except in cases of rape and incest during the first 12 weeks of pregnancy, or later in cases involving fetal anomalies.

A photograph published with The Guardian’s report, credited to David Carson of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch via Getty Images, showed Mallory Schwarz, executive director of Abortion Action Missouri, celebrating the failure of Amendment 3 in St. Louis, Missouri, on November 3.

In Idaho, one of the nation’s most conservative states, voters rejected an effort to repeal the state’s abortion ban. The result leaves in place Idaho’s abortion restrictions, which took effect in 2022 following the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v Wade, ending the nationwide constitutional right to abortion.

Tuesday’s results followed a record year for abortion-related ballot measures in 2024, when voters decided 11 statewide measures, the most in a single year as of 2026. Voters decided 65 abortion-related ballot measures between 1970 and 2025, according to Ballotpedia. Of those, 44 were supported by organizations identifying as anti-abortion, while 21 had the backing of organizations describing themselves as pro-choice or supportive of reproductive rights. The Supreme Court’s 2022 decision overturning the nationwide right to abortion gave states greater authority to establish their own abortion policies, and since that ruling, voters in more than one-fifth of states have approved ballot measures protecting abortion rights, The Guardian reported.

The Guardian reported that reproductive-rights advocates also celebrated Democratic victories in House and Senate races, where candidates made reproductive healthcare a central campaign issue. Reproductive Freedom for All, a prominent pro-choice organization, said in a statement on social media: “The American people sent a clear message: Our government belongs to us, not the extremists who have spent years attacking our fundamental freedoms. By taking back the House and Senate, voters have put a powerful check on Trump and his attacks on reproductive freedom.”

The Center for Reproductive Rights also celebrated the victories, writing in a statement: “What. a. night. The future of our reproductive rights will be shaped by the actions elected officials take. The work ahead MUST include protecting access to abortion and advancing federal safeguards for reproductive freedom.”

Abortion policy also featured in several Senate campaigns. Abdul El-Sayed, a progressive doctor who won Michigan’s Senate race, emphasized the right to personal healthcare decisions throughout his campaign and repeatedly highlighted Republican opponent Mike Rogers’ support for extreme abortion bans.

In New Hampshire, Chris Pappas won his Senate race after drawing attention to opponent John Sununu’s record on abortion. Pappas made Sununu’s support for an abortion ban a central issue, along with Sununu’s support for Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito, who authored the Dobbs decision overturning Roe v Wade.

In Georgia, Jon Ossoff secured re-election to the U.S. Senate after challenging Republican opponent Mike Collins over his previous support for a total abortion ban. During a Senate debate, Ossoff confronted Collins about his past position on abortion and pressed him to explain why his stance had changed.