Summary

Missouri voters approved Amendment 3, creating a constitutional right to “reproductive freedom,” which includes decisions on abortion, birth control, and pregnancy-related health care.

This makes Missouri the first state to reverse a near-total abortion ban by popular vote since the fall of Roe v. Wade. Passing the amendment was challenging in this conservative state, with Republican officials attempting to block the measure through legal and procedural hurdles.

The amendment protects abortion until fetal viability and permits it later to protect health or life. This shift may trigger legal challenges to Missouri’s stringent abortion restrictions, reflecting the strength of abortion rights as a mobilizing issue for voters.