This past election day, voters in 10 states faced ballot measures that dealt with abortion. Voters were asked to consider measures that expanded or solidified abortion access through amendments to their state constitutions.
The results of the vote were disheartening.
Seven states voted to create a right to abortion in their state constitutions.
In three of these – Colorado, Nevada and New York – the vote effectively elevated the current legal status to a constitutional right. In the others – Arizona, Maryland, Missouri and Montana – citizens voted to expand access, leaving more babies vulnerable to death by abortion and more mothers vulnerable to injury and mental health impacts.
On top of that, in Colorado, taxpayers will now be forced to pay for abortions at any stage of gestation through Medicaid coverage. A full catalogue of the vote in each state is at the bottom of this article.
Meanwhile, only three states voted to preserve current restrictions – Florida, Nebraska and South Dakota.
The Highlights
South Dakota was truly the bright spot, with a strong majority of over 58% voting to reject an amendment that would have created a constitutional right to abortion in the first trimester. This preserves the state’s current law, the strongest in the nation, prohibiting abortion except to save the life of the mother.
Faced with two competing measures, Nebraska voted down an initiative that would have allowed abortions to the point of “fetal viability,” which is generally understood to be 24 weeks. They instead approved a constitutional amendment to solidify their current law, which protects unborn children from abortion after 12 weeks gestation.
In Florida, the ballot measure challenged the current state law prohibiting abortion after six weeks – one of the strongest laws in the nation. It was defeated, but not with encouraging numbers. Voters were 57.2% in favor of expanding access to abortion, but because the measure required 60% of the vote to pass, the current restriction to six weeks was preserved.
The Warning For the Utah
While there’s reason to celebrate Florida’s vote, in reality it should be viewed as a warning shot across the bow of the pro-life effort. Including Florida, more than half the populations of eight states voted to allow more abortion!
What these results tell us is that 50 years of indoctrination have effectively changed the hearts and minds of Americans. That means we have a lot of work to do.
We here in Utah need to start gearing up now for an abortion initiative that is likely to make an appearance on our ballots in the next few years.
In many cases, abortion initiatives like the ones we saw this election cycle are funded with tens of millions of dollars from deep-pocket out-of-state groups. In Missouri, for example, the pro-abortion group raised over $30 million. By contrast, pro-life groups raised only about one-tenth that amount.
When the abortion industry decides to target a historically pro-life state like Utah, battle lines are drawn with well-paid full-time operatives on one side, marketing their agenda with sleek slogans and logos, and an army of unpaid part-time volunteers on the other. It’s a daunting situation for pro-life advocates
This may leave us wondering, so what can we do about it? Aren’t we already defeated?
The Call For Pro-Life Advocates
We have to get ahead of what we know is coming to Utah and the only way to do that is to educate. We need to educate our families, friends and neighbors about the reality of abortion. We need to talk about how it hurts women and literally rips children apart.
There seems to be a widespread idea that abortion is a neat, clean procedure, like pulling a wisdom tooth. But when people are educated – for example, shown videos of what actually happens in an abortion – they wake up to what it really is and often change their minds.
We need to share these videos. We need to share the stories of women who regret their abortions. We need to share the inspiring wins of women who are forever grateful that they were able to save their baby’s life because of the support of organizations like Pro-Life Utah, the Pregnancy Resource Centers and others.
The abortion vote of 2024 should wake us up.
If we want to protect babies and mothers in Utah, we need to recognize how much damage 50 years of abortion propaganda has done. If we are to avert a Missouri outcome, hearts and minds will need to be changed BEFORE an initiative campaign comes here.
If we want to ensure Utah’s laws protect babies and mothers from the evil of abortion, it’s time to get to work.
Breakdown of the Vote
Here’s the full breakdown of the results, with the percentage of the vote by which each measure passed.
States that voted to keep or expand access to abortion:
Arizona – Prop 139 (61.4%)
Creates a “fundamental right to abortion.” This right extends until “fetal viability” (currently recognized as about 24 weeks gestation) and any time after to “protect the life or physical or mental health of the pregnant individual.” Previously, abortion was restricted to 15 weeks.
Colorado – Amendment 79 (61.5%)
Perhaps the most egregious measure, this amendment not only creates a constitutional right to abortion at any point in a pregnancy – enshrining current Colorado law – but also allows Medicaid and public employers’ health insurance plans to cover abortions.
Maryland – Question 1 (74.1%)
Guarantees a right to abortion without restriction. Previously, abortion was restricted after “viability,” or after that point in the case of fetal anomaly or danger to the life or health of the mother.
Missouri – Amendment 3 (51.7%)
Creates “a right to make decisions about reproductive health care,” with a provision allowing restrictions after fetal viability except to protect the life or health of the mother. Perhaps most disappointing vote, it undid the state’s almost total abortion ban passed after the Dobbs decision reversed Roe v. Wade in June 2022.
Montana – CI-128 (57.6%)
Prohibits the government from instituting any restrictions on abortion prior to “fetal viability.” It allows abortion at any state of gestation “when a treating healthcare professional determines it is medically indicated to protect the patient’s life or health,” and allows Medicaid funds to be used. Previously, abortion was allowed until “fetal viability.”
Nevada – Question 6 (63.8%)
Creates a “fundament right to abortion…until fetal viability, or when needed to protect the life or health of the pregnant patient.” It sets in the state constitution what was previously only in the legal code.
New York – Proposal 1 (61.5%)
Using an unusual approach, this proposal added a clause to the state constitution that allows unrestricted access to abortion by prohibiting “unequal treatment based on… pregnancy, pregnancy outcomes, and reproductive healthcare and autonomy.” It enshrines what was already law in the state constitution.
States that voted to keep abortion limited:
Florida – Amendment 4 (57.2% in favor*)
*Note that Florida’s amendment required 60% to pass.
Would have created a constitutional right to abortion up until viability or at any point to protect the mother’s health. Because it did not attain the needed 60%, Florida’s ban on abortion after six weeks remains in place.
Nebraska – Initiatives 434 (55.3%) and 439 (51.34%)
Initiative 434 added a section to the state constitution prohibiting abortion after 12 weeks except in limited cases. It states that “unborn children shall be protected from abortion in the second and third trimesters” except for rape, incest and medical emergencies. Voters rejected 439, which would have created a constitutional right to abortion until fetal viability.
South Dakota – Amendment G (58.6%)
Would have created a constitutional right to abortion through the first trimester while allowing the state to regulate it during the second and third trimesters. By rejecting this proposal, voters upheld current state law banning abortion except to save the life of the mother.
The results of these votes across the nation serve as a wake-up call, urging us to take action now. We can’t wait for outside influence to shape our state’s future on abortion. If we want to protect both mothers and their unborn children, we must start by informing our communities, strengthening support for pro-life organizations, and amplifying the stories of lives saved and changed. The work ahead may be challenging, but by acting today, we can lay a stronger foundation to defend life in Utah for generations to come. Let’s rise to meet this moment, ready and resolute.