These States Have Abortion On The Ballot In 2022

When Roe V. Wade was overturned by the Supreme Court in June, it ended decades of a federally-protected right to abortion across the United States (via NPR). As such, access to legal and safe abortion now depends on the policies and laws of individual states.

At the time of the ruling, the dissenting justices who were the minority and who did not vote to overturn the landmark 1970's ruling that protected abortion, wrote that, "young women today will come of age with fewer rights than their mothers and grandmothers." These justices, who included Stephen Breyer, Sonia Sotomayor, and Elena Kagan, went on to say that now, without federal protection, "from the very moment of fertilization, a woman has no rights to speak of. A state can force her to bring a pregnancy to term even at the steepest personal and familial costs."

While there are some states that maintain the right to abortion for their citizens, others had trigger laws that went into effect immediately after the ruling, limiting access to the procedure. Now, with election season coming up, some states are putting abortion on their ballots to let their citizens decide.

After the overturning of Roe V. Wade, abortion immediately became completely or almost completely banned in 13 states, which include Wisconsin, West Virginia, Texas, Tennessee, South Dakota, Oklahoma, Missouri, Mississippi, Louisiana, Kentucky, Idaho, Arkansas, and Alabama (via Harpers Bazaar). 

Now, some states are including abortion on their November ballots. For instance, Vermont, Michigan, and California are asking questions that if confirmed by voters would change their state constitutions to directly and clearly protect the right to abortion. Meanwhile, Montana will be asking their citizens if the state should require medical care be provided to babies that survive an attempted abortion. 

And Kentucky is asking its voters whether its constitution should outright state that it does not protect a right to abortion. 

To be prepared for the questions that will be on your own ballots come November, whichever way you plan to vote, we recommend checking your state's official website to read the details about ballot questions.