WASHINGTON (AP) — Voters in Missouri have cleared the way for abortion rights advocates to reverse one of the country's most restrictive abortion bans with one of seven victories, while Florida, Nebraska and South Dakota rejected similar constitutional amendments and left the bans in place.

Abortion law changes also passed in Arizona, Colorado, Maryland and Montana. Nevada voters also approved an amendment but must pass it again in 2026 for it to take effect. In New York, a different law prevailed that prohibits discrimination based on “pregnancy outcomes.”

The findings include news for the abortion landscape, which saw a seismic shift in 2022 when the U.S. Supreme Court ruled on Roe v States.

They also arrived in the same election in which Republican Donald Trump won the presidency. Among his Inconsistent positions on abortion It was insisted that it was an issue best left to the states. Nevertheless, the president can have great influence on abortion policy through executive action.

In the meantime, Missouri is positioned to be the first state where a vote will overturn a ban on abortion at all stages of pregnancy, with an amendment that would allow lawmakers to restrict abortions only past the point at which a fetus is viable – which is typically after 21 Weeks is being considered, although there is no precise defined time frame.

However, the ban and other restrictive laws will not be automatically repealed. Advocates must now ask the courts to strike down laws to bring them into line with the new change.

“Today, Missourians made history and sent a clear message: Decisions surrounding pregnancy, including abortion, birth control and miscarriage care, are personal and private and should be left to patients and their families, not politicians,” said Rachel Sweet, campaign manager Missourians for Constitutional Freedom said in a statement.

About half of Missouri voters said abortion should be legal in all or most cases, according to AP VoteCast, a survey of more than 2,200 voters in the state. But only about 1 in 10 said abortion should be illegal in all cases; Nearly 4 in 10 said abortion should be illegal in most cases.

In three states, the bans remain in place after the vote

Florida, Nebraska and South Dakota became the first states since the overthrow of Roe in which anti-abortion groups prevailed in a vote. Most voters supported the measure in Florida, but it fell short of the 60% needed to pass constitutional amendments in the state. In most states, a simple majority is required.

The result was a political victory for Governor Ron DeSantisa Republican with a national profile who had taken the lead state GOP funds to the cause. His government has also launched a campaign against the measure. Interview investigators People who have signed petitions to put them on the ballot, and Threats against television stations that aired a commercial supporting it.

Marjorie Dannenfelser, president of the national anti-abortion group SBA Pro-Life America, said in a statement that the result was “a momentous victory for life in Florida and for our entire country” and praised DeSantis for leading the charges against led the measure.

The defeat brings about lasting change in the Southern Abortion Landscape That started when the state's six-week ban went into effect in May. This removed Florida as an abortion destination for many women from neighboring states with stricter bans and also resulted in many more women traveling out of the state to obtain an abortion. The closest states with looser restrictions are North Carolina and Virginia – hundreds of miles away.

“The reality is that because of the Florida Constitution, a minority of Florida voters have decided that Amendment 4 will not pass,” said Lauren Brenzel, campaign manager for the Yes on 4 campaign, as she wiped tears from her face. “The reality is that a majority of Floridians just voted to repeal Florida’s abortion ban.”

In South Dakota, another state that bans abortion throughout pregnancy with some exceptions, the defeat of an abortion measure was more decisive. It would have allowed for some regulations related to the woman's health after 12 weeks. Because of this wrinkle, it was not supported by most national abortion rights groups.

Nebraska voters passed a measure allowing stronger abortion restrictions and enshrining the state's current 12-week ban, rejecting a competing measure that would have guaranteed abortion rights.

Other states guaranteed the right to abortion

Arizona's amendment replaces current law that bans abortions after the first 15 weeks of pregnancy. The new measure guarantees access to abortion until it is profitable. A ballot measure there gained momentum after a state Supreme Court ruling in April found that the state could enforce a strict 1864 ban on abortion. Some Republican lawmakers joined Democrats repeal the law before it could be enforced.

In Maryland, the abortion law change is a legislative change that does not directly affect access to abortion in a state that already allows it.

The situation is similar in Montana, where abortions are already legal up to the point of viability.

The Colorado measure exceeded the 55% support needed for passage. In addition to enshrining access, it also reverses a previous change that banned the use of state and local government funds for abortions and allowed state Medicaid and government employee insurance plans to cover the care.

A New York equal rights law also passed that the abortion rights group says will strengthen abortion rights. It does not contain the word “abortion” but rather prohibits discrimination based on “pregnancy outcomes and reproductive health care and autonomy.” Sasha Ahuja, campaign director for New Yorkers for Equal Rights, called the result “a monumental victory for all New Yorkers” and a vote against opponents who she said used misleading parental rights and anti-trans messaging to defeat the measure.

The results end a winning streak for abortion rights advocates

See you Tuesday, abortion rights advocates had prevailed on all seven measures that have appeared on statewide ballots since Roe was overturned.

The abortion rights campaigns are very important Fundraising benefit this year. Their opponents' efforts are focused on portraying the amendments as too extreme, rather than portraying abortion as immoral.

Currently, 13 states enforce bans at all stages of pregnancy, with some exceptions. In most cases, four more bar abortions occur after about the sixth week of pregnancy – often before women even realize they are pregnant. Despite the bans, it is Number of monthly abortions In the United States, the number has increased slightly, reflecting increasing use of abortion pills and organized efforts to help women travel for abortions. Still, advocates say the bans are effective restricted accessparticularly for low-income and minority people in states with bans.

The issue resonates with voters. About a quarter said abortion policy was the most important factor in their vote, according to AP VoteCast, a comprehensive survey of more than 110,000 voters across the country. Almost half said it was an important factor, but not the most important. Just over 1 in 10 said it was a minor factor.

The results of ballot initiatives aimed at overturning strict abortion bans in Florida and Missouri were very important to the majority of voters in the states. More than half of Florida voters thought the outcome of the change was very important, while about six in 10 voters in Missouri said the same, the poll found.

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Associated Press reporters Hannah Fingerhut and Amanda Seitz contributed to this article.

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This article has been corrected to reflect in the “Other States” section that Montana, not Missouri, currently allows abortions up to viability.