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- Abortion was a key focal point of the 2024 presidential election, with abortion rights ballot measures passing in 7 of 10 states.
- Donald Trump’s victory over Kamala Harris marks a turning point for American politics and an uncertain future for reproductive rights.
- While Trump has said he won’t sign a nationwide abortion ban, experts remain skeptical of the impending administration.
President-elect Donald Trump’s sweeping win over Vice President Kamala Harris ushered in a new era of uncertainty in the battle for reproductive rights.
Abortion became a major focal point of the November 2024 election following the 2022 reversal of Roe v. Wade, with abortion rights ballot measures prevailing in 7 of 10 states.
Despite these victories for abortion protection, they won’t change overnight. States that passed abortion rights amendments in 2022 and 2023, like Ohio, Michigan, and Missouri, were mired in legal red tape. Months would pass before any new abortion protection policies could take effect, KFF Health News reports.
“Every day we live under Trump’s abortion bans, more people will suffer and die,” Alexis McGill Johnson, president and CEO of the Planned Parenthood Action Fund (PPAF) said in a statement.
“Abortion is powerful and popular. The American people do not want politicians making their health care decisions. In poll after poll, voters said abortion mattered to them — mattered in their lives and mattered in the voting booth… the majority of voters were clear and unequivocal: people are dying. People are suffering. Fix this,” McGill Johnson continued.
Abortion protective ballot measures pass in 7 states
Abortion was on the ballot for voters in 10 states during the 2024 presidential election.
According to the Guttmacher Institute, the following states passed abortion rights ballot measures:
- Arizona: Proposition 139 (Right to Abortion Initiative)
- Colorado: Amendment 79 (Right to Abortion and Health Insurance Coverage Initiative)
- Maryland: Question 1 (Right to Reproductive Freedom Amendment)
- Missouri: Amendment 3 (Right to Reproductive Freedom Initiative)
- Montana: CI-128 (Right to Abortion Initiative)
- Nevada: Question 6 (Right to Abortion Initiative)
- New York: Proposal 1 (Equal Protection of Law Amendment)
In Florida, an amendment to limit government interference with abortion fell short of the needed 60% support at just over 57%.
In Nebraska, where both abortion protective and anti-abortion measures were on the ballot. The anti-abortion measure passed.
In South Dakota, an amendment to prohibit the state from restricting abortion during the first trimester failed to pass. The state currently has an abortion ban that only allows abortions to save the life of a pregnant person.
Changes to abortion access will take time
In the seven states that saw victories for abortion access, the bans or restrictions in place are not automatically repealed, which means change will likely take some time. Abortion advocates will have to petition courts to overturn the anti-abortion laws in place to align with the new amendments, according to the Associated Press.
“Access to abortion clearly continues to mobilize voters across the country, even those where a measure did not pass this year,” Candace Gibson, director of State Policy at the Guttmacher Institute, said in a statement shared with Healthline.
“As we prepare for an incoming Trump Administration and additional attacks on reproductive freedom, we must continue to push policymakers at all levels to protect reproductive freedom, support state-based organizations, and donate to abortion funds,” Gibson continued.
Sarah Prager, MD, a professor in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the University of Washington School of Medicine, told Healthline she was “extremely gratified” by the passed ballot measures.
“This clearly shows that the American people want access to abortion in spite of what some legislators and legislatures are saying,” Prager said.
“I do think that over time, more state efforts to increase access to abortion and/or codify the right to abortion in state constitutions will be successful. However, that is not an option in all states — 24 states do not allow for citizen-initiated statewide initiatives or ballot measures,” Prager continued, noting how newly implemented barriers like the 60% majority rule in Florida caused the ballot measure to fail with just 57% of the vote.
“We will continue to see positive and successful efforts to restore the right to abortion and reproductive health care, but in the meantime, patients are suffering and even dying,” she said.
Will Trump ban abortion nationwide?
The impending 2025 Republican administration could further impact abortion access, even in states without bans, experts say.
If Congress were to approve a national abortion ban, it could potentially override any state protections, NBC reports.
Access to abortion medication, such as mifepristone, could also face scrutiny during Trump’s second term as president.
The uncertainty that lay ahead is rooted in the president-elect’s shifting position on whether he’d sign a national abortion ban.
During the tail-end of his campaign, Trump reversed his stance and said he wouldn’t and that the issue should continue to be left up to the states. Whether he’ll remain true to this position is unclear.
“Donald Trump ran from his record and said he would not ban abortion nationwide. Planned Parenthood Action Fund is going to hold him to that every day for the next four years,” McGill Johnson said.
Prager said she is certain Trump will sign a nationwide abortion ban.
“It may be called something else, it may not completely ban all abortions, but it will be introduced early, and if Republicans control the House and Senate, it will pass and Trump will sign it. It may take some time for that to go through the courts, but with our current Supreme Court, I have no doubt it will go through,” Prager noted.
“Of course, those are my beliefs — I cannot predict the future, but I can be informed by the past.”
Takeaway
Abortion rights ballot measures passed in 7 of 10 states during the November 2024 election. President-elect Donald Trump’s victory over Vice President Kamala Harris signals an uncertain future for reproductive rights.
While Trump claims he won’t sign a nationwide abortion ban, experts remain wary. If Congress were to approve such a ban, it could potentially override any state-level abortion protections in place.
