7 Out of 10 Abortion Ballot Measures Won Last Night

The first total abortion ban to be struck down at the ballot box. Expanded abortion access for Medicaid recipients and public employees. Stronger protections for abortion in state after state after state where grassroots organizers poured everything they had into defending the right to reproductive healthcare.

There were important wins for reproductive justice advocates last night, and then there was this: In Florida, where a majority of voters voted to overturn the state’s 6-week abortion ban, the ballot measure succeeded in winning 1.5 million more votes than the opposition but fell just short of the 60% majority needed to pass, likely due to misleading warnings beside the ballot language.

Last night’s successful abortion ballot measures will change and save lives. Today, we’re celebrating the tireless efforts of the community leaders, organizers, volunteers and voters who won them. And we’re also committing to continue our support for targeted communities as they face voter suppression tactics that make it harder to exercise their democratic voice.

Engage Miami. Florida’s proposed amendment to restore abortion access got the majority of the vote, but failed to pass.

Where Abortion Won Last Night

Voters in ten states had the opportunity to cast a ballot in favor of abortion access. Seven of these ten states passed the abortion access ballot measure: Arizona and Missouri expanded access where abortion is banned or restricted, and Colorado, Maryland, Montana, Nevada, and New York enshrined access to prevent restrictions.

An End to Missouri’s Total Abortion Ban

A majority of voters ended Missouri’s total abortion ban by voting yes on Amendment 3. This is the first total abortion ban to be undone at the ballot box. Missouri borders other states with total abortion bans, so the passage of Amendment 3 meaningfully increases access to abortion for people across the South. 

Nevada Votes To Enshrine Abortion in Its State Constitution

In Nevada, preliminary results show that 63% of voters supported Question 6 to enshrine abortion in the constitution. Constitutional amendments must pass twice, so voters will have the opportunity to take this same action in 2026. The Healthy Democracy Fund granted $837,500 directly to this campaign for abortion access in Nevada, and organizations like Make the Road Action Nevada and Make It Work Nevada ran large-scale campaigns to reach voters of color about this measure. 

Make the Road Action Nevada. In Nevada, preliminary results show that 63% of voters supported Question 6 to enshrine abortion in the constitution.

Colorado Votes To Expand Abortion Access to Medicaid Recipients

In Colorado, over 60% of voters supported expanding access to abortion for Medicaid recipients and public employees. A previous ballot measure had barred publicly provided health insurance from covering abortions. Now, thousands of people will financially have access to reproductive healthcare. Led by grassroots organizations like New Era Colorado and COLOR Latina, the passage of Amendment 79 underscores that the right to abortion alone is not enough: birthing people deserve and require full reproductive justice. 

Minority Rule in Florida and Ohio

In Florida and Ohio, officials included misleading language next to the ballot measure language which intentionally confused the public and caused those states’ measures for abortion access and redistricting reform to fall short. 

Florida

In Florida, 57% of voters supported passing Amendment 4 to overturn the state’s 6-week abortion ban. That’s 1.5 million more votes than the opposition and over 1 million more votes than Florida’s governor won during his last election. Despite this, the campaign fell short of the 60% needed to pass the measure.

Tides Foundation’s Healthy Democracy Fund provided $3.2 million directly to the ballot measure campaign, Floridians Protecting Freedom, and to groups in Florida such as Engage Miami and Florida Rising doing general ballot measure education. We applaud the thousands of volunteers who collected over 900,000 signatures to place this amendment on the ballot and who got out the vote on college campuses and in communities across Florida. None of this work was in vain. The fight for reproductive justice in Florida will not end here.

Floridians Protecting Freedom. The campaign to overturn Florida’s ban won a majority of the vote, but fell short of the 60% needed to pass.

Ohio

In Ohio, voters rejected Issue 1, which would have eliminated the Ohio redistricting commission. Misleading ballot language stated the exact opposite effect of the ballot measure, falsely stating that the measure would “establish a new taxpayer-funded commission of appointees required to gerrymander the boundaries of state legislative and congressional districts.” Tides’ Healthy Democracy Fund granted $2 million directly to this campaign, which would have let voters choose their politicians, rather than letting politicians choose their voters. 

Ohio Organizing Campaign. The measure to ban partisan gerrymandering in Ohio failed due to misleading ballot language that stated the exact opposite of the ballot measure.

Protecting Democracy in 2025 and Beyond

Democracy doesn’t end now that the election is over. The movement to create a truly representative, multiracial democratic system has been organizing for generations. Rising authoritarianism threatens our achievements, but solidarity lights the way forward. 

Today, Tides is committing to continue its support of the pro-democracy field and uphold freedoms that may come under attack. Our Healthy Democracy Fund supports year-round civic engagement programs in communities who have been historically excluded from participating in our nation’s future. These groups work to create a more inclusive democracy all the time, not just during election years.

Many of these grassroots organizations and leaders in civic engagement face a financial cliff after Election Day. Pro-democracy organizations will need resources to maintain and strengthen their infrastructure built in the 2024 election. These organizations trained new leaders, built relations with first-time voters, and deepened trust in communities in 2024.  

Last night’s abortion victories showed us what grassroots organizers can accomplish. Last night’s ballot measure losses in Florida and Ohio showed us what they’re up against.

Pro-democracy organizations are counting on us, as funders and donors, to stand with them in 2025 and beyond. Let’s back up the organizations that have been the backbone of our democracy.