Most states that considered abortion law changes agreed to them: NPR

Protesters gather in Scottsdale, Arizona.

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Ten states considered adding language guaranteeing abortion rights to their state constitutions in this year's election.

Voters in seven states approved the ballot questions. They rejected three.

The results represent a dramatic reshaping of the map for abortion access in parts of the country. Half of the measures cement existing abortion protections that are already anchored in state law.

States that have expanded access

In Missouri, where one of the strictest abortion bans in the country appliesVoters approved an amendment guaranteeing access to abortions until the fetus is viable, typically up to 24 weeks of pregnancy.

After the Missouri case, Missouri became the first state to ban abortions – including in cases of rape and only in medical emergencies Roe v. Wade in 2022.

Abortion rights advocates Hundreds of thousands of signatures collected for a vote on the amendment to legalize abortion until the fetus is viable, i.e. around 24 weeks.

In Arizona, voters approved a ballot measure that would enshrine abortion rights in the state constitution until practical, likely upending the state's 15-week abortion law.

The measure also allows exceptions for abortions that go beyond the point of feasibility to protect the life or physical or mental health of the pregnant person.

In order to qualify for the vote, supporters of the citizens' initiative must qualify collected over 800,000 signatures – more than double the required threshold – and raised $32 million – 25 times more than opponents.

States That Rejected Abortion Amendments

Proponents of the Proposal to introduce abortion rights The passage of Florida's constitution faced a significant challenge because passage required 60 percent approval and the state's Republican leadership opposed it.

The vote means that of the state six-week abortion ban stays in place. Abortion rights advocates fear it will delay care and endanger women's lives.

The amendment's failure leaves access severely limited throughout the South, where most states ban abortions either at any point in pregnancy or up to six weeks – when many people don't know they are pregnant.

In Nebraska, voters supported the state's 12-week abortion ban over a competing proposal to allow abortion until the fetus is viable.

The constitutional amendment bans abortions in the second and third trimesters, with some exceptions. It also allows lawmakers to further restrict access to abortions.

A competing proposal to expand abortion rights failed to receive enough votes.

In South Dakota, voters rejected an abortion law change, reaffirming one of the strictest abortion bans in the country. The only exception is to save the woman's life. There are no exceptions for health reasons or for pregnancies resulting from rape or incest.

Leslie Unruh is a member of the Life Defense Fund, the group that opposes the South Dakota Amendment. She says the difference comes down to funding and organization.

“I have never seen people work so hard in a campaign. From door to door. Make a phone call. Give sacrificially. It was really humbling for me to see and see that. I have been involved in politics a lot over the years. This is unlike anything I have ever experienced. Wonderful,” she said.

States that codified existing abortion rights

Colorado is already a regional center for abortion access. Voters on Tuesday approved an amendment that would codify abortion protections and, among other things, ban local governments from passing their own laws restricting the procedure. It repeals Colorado's current constitutional ban on public funding of abortion and allows the state to cover the procedure under Medicaid and include it in health insurance plans for state employees.

In Nevada, abortion is one step closer to constitutional protection after voters approved a statewide ballot question. However, the measure would need to be passed again in 2026 to be fully approved.

The proposal would add language to the state constitution guaranteeing the right to abortion until the fetus is viable. Abortion is already protected under Nevada law, pending a 1990 ballot measure legalizing abortion under state law.

Although abortion is already legal in Maryland, voters there approved an amendment that would make it extremely difficult for lawmakers in the future to pass a law that could restrict reproductive care without violating the state constitution.

Montana's approval of an abortion amendment will not change the status quo — abortion access is already protected by a 1999 Montana Supreme Court precedent, which found that the state's right to privacy protects the right to terminate a pregnancy.

Courts have upheld this precedent In recent years, the state's Republican-majority government has sought to restrict abortion.

According to the new amendment, the Constitution of Montana will now explicitly prohibit the government from burdening abortion rights before fetal viability – around 24 weeks of pregnancy. The measure also guarantees access to abortion after pregnancy to protect the life or health of the pregnant person.

In New York, New York voters approved an amendment that would strengthen legal support for the state's current access to abortion and protections against various forms of discrimination.

The initiative was placed on the ballot by the Democratic-controlled Legislature in response to the U.S. Supreme Court's decision to overturn Roe v. Wade two years ago.

Although the amendment does not contain the word “abortion”, the point is that no one can do it are discriminated against on the basis of “gender, including sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, pregnancy, pregnancy outcome, and reproductive health care and autonomy.”

Contributors: Katherine Davis Young, KJZZ, Bente Birkeland, Colorado Public Radio, Regan McCarthy, WFSU, Scott Maucione, WYPR, Jason Rosenbaum, St. Louis Public Radio, Shaylee Ragar, Montana Public Radio, Elizabeth Rembert, Nebraska Public Media, Lucia Starbuck , KUNR, Ian Pickus, WAMC, Lee Strubinger, South Dakota Public Broadcasting