Voters in several states decide abortion, redistricting and voter ID measures
Voters in multiple states are deciding 145 ballot measures on abortion rights, congressional maps, transgender athletes and voter identification, in a test of priorities tied to President Donald Trump's agenda.
Voters in several states are deciding 145 proposed laws and constitutional amendments on Tuesday, with abortion rights, congressional redistricting, transgender restrictions and voter identification rules among the most closely watched. The ballot measures run alongside a high-profile midterm election that will determine which party controls Congress, state legislatures and governors' offices in many states. Several of the questions also put President Donald Trump's priorities directly to voters.
The abortion fight is among the most significant. In Missouri, voters are weighing whether to repeal the 2024 abortion rights amendment and replace it with a new prohibition. Two years ago, Missouri became the first state in the nation to pass a ballot measure undoing an existing ban on most abortions. The new proposal, placed on the ballot by the Republican-led Legislature, would allow exceptions for medical emergencies and fetal anomalies, and in cases of rape or incest up to 12 weeks of pregnancy. Abortion rights advocates, led by national progressive groups, have greatly outspent abortion opponents in an effort to defeat it.
Three other states are considering measures that would create a right to abortion using standards similar to those in place nationally before the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022 and opened the door to state bans. Ballot measures in Idaho and Nevada would block bans on abortion before fetal viability, usually considered after 21 weeks. Nevada voters already approved their measure once, but it must pass a second time to become official. In Virginia, an amendment would ensure abortion is allowed through the first two trimesters.
Redistricting is another major test. Nine states are using new congressional districts in the midterms after a rare spate of mid-decade redistricting encouraged by Trump. Missouri's Republican lawmakers adopted new House districts designed to help the GOP win an additional seat, but courts ruled those maps cannot be used unless voters approve them in a November referendum. If passed, the districts would take effect for the 2028 election. In Democratic-led Maryland, voters are considering a constitutional amendment that could also pave the way for new congressional districts in 2028. Democratic proponents, backed by former President Barack Obama, have urged a “yes” vote as a way to « stop Trump ». In Colorado, a citizen initiative would prohibit any potential 2028 redistricting from favoring one political party and would require approval from both an independent commission and the state Supreme Court.
Transgender restrictions are also on the ballot in several states. Voters in Arizona, Colorado, Missouri, Nebraska and Washington are considering measures restricting transgender athletes or medical procedures, as Trump's administration has pushed for restrictions affecting transgender people, especially youth. Most Republican-led states already bar transgender women and girls from female school sports teams. Citizen-led initiatives in the Democratic-led states of Colorado and Washington propose similar limits. Arizona's measure would extend public school sports restrictions to private schools, while Nebraska's would write existing restrictions into the state constitution. A second Colorado question would ban some transgender medical treatments for minors, and the Missouri abortion amendment would also add existing transgender medical restrictions to the state constitution.
Voter identification is on the ballot in five states. Although Trump's push for nationwide voter ID mandates remains stalled in Congress, citizen activists bypassed Democratic-led legislatures to place new requirements before voters in California, Colorado and Nevada. Those measures would require government-issued identification, such as driver's licenses or partial Social Security numbers, to cast a ballot. The Nevada amendment already won approval in 2024 but needs a second vote to take effect. Measures referred by Republican-led legislatures in North Carolina and Ohio would enhance existing voter ID requirements by placing them in the state constitution.
Citizenship voting measures appear in six states. Ballot questions in Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Kansas, South Dakota and West Virginia would reinforce current practices limiting voting to U.S. citizens. Critics argue the measures are largely symbolic and unnecessary, since voting by noncitizens is rare and already forbidden in federal elections. Still, noncitizens are allowed to vote in some local elections in California, Maryland, Vermont and the District of Columbia. Two years ago, similar amendments won approval in all eight states where they appeared on ballots.
The ballot also includes questions about how elections themselves are run. A Massachusetts measure would replace separate party primaries with open primaries in which the top two vote recipients of any party advance to the general election. In Alaska, voters are deciding for the second straight election whether to scrap their system of open primaries and ranked choice voting. Proposed amendments in North Dakota and South Dakota would require 60% voter approval to amend their state constitutions instead of a simple majority, a similar 60% threshold is proposed in Utah for citizen initiatives that raise taxes, and a Missouri amendment would make it harder for lawmakers to change voter-approved citizen initiatives by requiring a supermajority for revisions.
Source: fastcompany.com
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