Republican legislators in Missouri, disappointed by voters’ decision to add abortion rights to the State Constitution two years ago, asked them to reconsider on Tuesday. The result was the same, with Missourians rejecting the attempt to largely outlaw the procedure, The Associated Press said.
The vote demonstrated again how the politics of abortion have shifted since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022, with residents of conservative states often supporting abortion rights against the wishes of their elected leaders. Voters in Kansas, Montana and Ohio, among other states, have also opted to keep or establish abortion rights since that ruling.
Missouri officials swiftly enacted a ban on nearly all abortions after the Supreme Court decision, but had to reverse course after voters narrowly approved a constitutional right to abortion in 2024.
Months after that vote, Republicans reopened the debate and placed a question on this year’s ballot asking voters to ban abortion in nearly all cases. The new ban would have included exceptions for medical emergencies and for cases of rape or incest if the assault was reported to the police within 48 hours and the pregnancy was less than 12 weeks along. Some Republicans had opposed the rape and incest exceptions.
The ballot question on Tuesday also included language that would have added a ban on gender transition treatments for minors to the Missouri Constitution.
Republicans hold large legislative majorities in Missouri, and the party wins statewide elections in blowouts. But the state’s voters have repeatedly frustrated Republican officials by enacting left-leaning policy goals through ballot questions, including by expanding Medicaid and legalizing marijuana and sports betting. In August, voters overwhelmingly rejected an attempt to make it harder to amend the State Constitution.
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