Abortion
Missourians will vote on a constitutional amendment to enshrine abortion rights this November
A constitutional amendment to enshrine abortion rights into Missouri’s state constitution has qualified for this November’s ballot.
BREAKING: A Missouri amendment that would enshrine the right to abortion in the state constitution has received enough signatures to be on the ballot on November 5.
Voting yes on Amendment 3 will put an end to the state’s extreme abortion ban.
— ACLU (@ACLU) August 13, 2024
The secretary of state’s office confirmed that the initiative petition received enough signatures for the amendment to appear on the general election ballot on Nov. 5. If approved, the amendment would restore access to abortion in Missouri, which has been fully prohibited with no exceptions for rape or incest since 2022.
After the Supreme Court of the United States overturned Roe v. Wade in June 2022, then-Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt and Gov. Mike Parson (R) filed paperwork to quickly implement a trigger law to ban abortion in the state. The law also makes it a felony to perform or induce abortion, with a punishment of up to 15 years in prison.
Missouri voters will also have the opportunity to decide whether to approve raising the state’s minimum wage, require employers to provide earned paid sick time and whether to legalize sports gambling.
Missouri joins Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Maryland, Nevada, New York and South Dakota on the list of states that will be voting to protect reproductive rights this year.