Missouri voters reject Amendment 3, preserve abortion rights approved in 2024
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Missouri voters have rejected Amendment 3, preserving abortion rights protections approved just two years ago and defeating an effort by Republican lawmakers to reinstate sweeping restrictions on the procedure.
The decision leaves Missouri's 2024 reproductive freedom amendment in place, protecting access to abortion through fetal viability, generally considered the point when a fetus can survive outside the uterus.
In November 2024, 51.6% of Missouri voters approved constitutional protections for reproductive health care, overturning the state's near-total abortion ban that took effect after the U.S. Supreme Court struck down Roe v. Wade in 2022.
The rejected proposal would have prohibited most abortions, with exceptions for medical emergencies, fetal anomalies and pregnancies resulting from rape or incest before 12 weeks of pregnancy.
It also would have placed restrictions on gender-transition medical procedures for minors into the Missouri Constitution.
Supporters argued the measure would protect unborn children while allowing exceptions in certain circumstances. Opponents warned the restrictions could limit access to necessary medical care and criticized lawmakers for asking voters to reverse their 2024 decision.
The outcome marks another significant victory for abortion-rights supporters in Missouri, a state where Republicans continue to dominate statewide elected offices and the Legislature.
