Voters across the United States decided 145 proposed laws and constitutional amendments on Tuesday, alongside midterm races that will determine control of Congress. According to the Associated Press, the measures formed an undercard to contests for Congress, state legislatures and governors’ offices.
Abortion rights featured in several states. In Missouri, voters decided whether to repeal the abortion rights amendment passed in 2024 and replace it with a ban that allows exceptions for medical emergencies and foetal anomalies, and in cases of rape or incest up to 12 weeks of pregnancy. Measures in Idaho and Nevada would block bans on abortion before foetal viability, usually considered after 21 weeks, while Virginia voters considered an amendment allowing abortion for the first two trimesters.
Redistricting also reached the ballot. Nine states are using new congressional districts in these midterms after a rare round of mid-decade redistricting. In Missouri, courts ruled that new House districts drawn by Republican lawmakers cannot take effect unless voters approve them in a referendum, in which case they would apply from the 2028 election. Maryland voters decided on a constitutional amendment that could clear the way for new congressional districts in 2028.
Voter identification rules were put to voters in California, Colorado and Nevada, where citizen activists bypassed Democratic-led legislatures to place the measures on the ballot. Those proposals would require government-issued identification to vote. Nevada voters approved a similar measure in 2024 and must approve it a second time for it to become law.
Source: PBS News
