Nebraska voters will choose between two competing abortion measures to either expand abortion rights or limit them to the current 12-week ban — a development likely to drive more voters to the polls in a state that could see one of its five electoral votes up for grabs in the hotly contested presidential race.
Nebraska Secretary of State Bob Evnen announced Friday that the rival initiatives each gathered enough signatures to get on the November ballot, making Nebraska the first state to carry competing abortion amendments on the same ballot since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022.
Nebraska also becomes the last of several states to put an abortion measure on the November ballot, including the swing states of Arizona and Nevada where abortion ballot measures could drive higher voter turnout. Others are Colorado, Florida, Maryland, Missouri, Montana and South Dakota. New York has a measure that supporters say will effectively guarantee access, though it doesn’t mention abortion specifically.
Posted by John3262005
3 Comments
What happens if both pass?
Not as impactful as some other measures, but good nonetheless. The more states that legalize it, the easier it is for women across the country to access abortion via travel. Right now across the South, the nearest place you can get by driving for an abortion is Illinois.
I also wonder if these initiatives win if it might dampen even further Republican efforts for a federal abortion ban. Some Senators might get nervous trying to pass a law that directly overrides a popular ballot initiative. Even in a red state.
I think it would be funny if Republicans had to spend money on the Nebraska Senate race (Dems aren’t running a candidate and there is an independent labor leader who is polling competitive)