Following the US Supreme Court’s June 2022 decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, which eliminated a constitutional right to abortion nationwide, nearly two dozen US states have banned or limited access to the procedure. States with restricted abortion laws are experiencing higher rates of maternal and infant mortality, as well as increased economic insecurity.
Ten states had reproductive rights on the ballot in the November 2024 election. Voters in seven states approved measures expanding or safeguarding abortion access, including Arizona and Missouri, where citizens voted to overturn existing abortion bans. However, proposed protective measures in Florida, Nebraska, and South Dakota did not pass. Nebraska voters did approve enshrining the state’s current 12-week abortion ban in the state constitution.
