US election results: How states voted on abortion rights

In Florida, a key initiative, Amendment 4, which sought to enshrine abortion rights in the state constitution, fell short of the required 60% supermajority, securing only 57% of the vote

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Florida's Amendment 4, which would have enshrined abortion rights in the state, but fell short of the 60% vote threshold it needed to pass, on Election Day. (AP Photo)

The recent US elections highlighted deep national divides over abortion rights, with mixed outcomes for ballot measures addressing the issue in several states.

In Florida, a key initiative, Amendment 4, which sought to enshrine abortion rights in the state constitution, fell short of the required 60% supermajority, securing only 57% of the vote, as reported by the Associated Press. If passed, it would have protected abortion access up to fetal viability, typically around 24 weeks.

Currently, Florida restricts most abortions after six weeks, often before many women realize they are pregnant.

Results are still pending in several of the 10 states that put abortion measures on the ballot this election—the first presidential race since the US Supreme Court overturned the national right to abortion two years ago, BBC reported. This ruling allowed states to enforce their own restrictions, significantly curtailing access to abortion for millions.

In Missouri, voters successfully repealed one of the strictest abortion bans in the country, marking a major win for abortion rights advocates. Voters in Colorado and Maryland also passed amendments to protect abortion access, while New Yorkers supported a measure prohibiting discrimination based on “pregnancy outcomes.” Meanwhile, Nebraska endorsed a measure allowing for stricter abortion limitations, while a competing amendment to establish abortion rights in the state remains undecided, according to the AP reports.

Rachel Sweet, campaign manager for Missourians for Constitutional Freedom, praised the Missouri vote: “Today, Missourians made history, sending a clear message that decisions around pregnancy, including abortion and miscarriage care, are personal and private matters.”

These results reflect the far-reaching impact of the 2022 Supreme Court decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, which permitted individual states to determine abortion policies.

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Meanwhile, former President Donald Trump appears to be nearing the 270 electoral votes needed for re-election, having won a significant victory in Florida.

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