A group of abortion rights organizations in Montana has announced that they have gathered enough signatures to place a measure on the November ballot. This measure is aimed at confirming the right to reproductive freedom in the State Constitution.
If passed, Montana would become one of five states, including Colorado, South Dakota, Florida, and New York, to have similar ballot measures this fall. The signatures collected need to be verified by county clerks and then sent to the secretary of state by August 22 for the ballot questions to be finalized. Over 117,000 signatures were submitted, well above the required 60,039.
Abortion is currently legal in Montana up to viability, which is typically around 24 weeks of pregnancy. This is due to a 1999 ruling by the state’s highest court, which interpreted the state Constitution’s privacy provisions as protecting the right to abortion.
The coalition behind this initiative, Montanans Securing Reproductive Rights, believes that enshrining the right to abortion in the state Constitution will safeguard against any attempts by the Republican-controlled Legislature or future courts to overturn the 1999 ruling.
In addition to Montana, abortion rights groups in six other states are also working on collecting signatures for citizen-sponsored ballot measures in November. This includes states like Arizona, a key battleground state in presidential elections, where Democrats are hoping that strong support for abortion rights could benefit President Biden.
While Montana typically leans Republican in presidential elections, Democrats are optimistic that the turnout for the ballot measure could potentially help Senator Jon Tester in his re-election campaign.
The push for these ballot measures reflects a broader national conversation around reproductive rights and access to abortion. As different states take varying approaches to this issue, the outcome of these measures in November could have significant implications for the future of abortion rights across the country.