(Photo courtesy of Nevadans for Reproductive Freedom)
Abortion in Nevada is allowed up to 24 weeks of pregnancy, but voters will decide in November whether the protections should be added to the state constitution to further protect access.
The initiative aiming to guarantee abortion protections under the Nevada Constitution was certified by the Nevada Secretary State on Friday, meaning the measure will appear in front of voters on the November ballot.
This comes after Nevadans for Reproductive Freedom submitted more than 200,000 signatures, gathered from all 17 counties, to the Secretary of State’s office in May. Statewide petitions need at least 102,362 valid signatures from registered Nevada voters, including at least 25,591 signatures from each of the four congressional districts in Nevada.
While Nevadans voted to codify abortion up to 24 weeks in 1990, the new ballot question would ask voters whether they want that same protection to be included in the state constitution. The current protections can be changed with another referendum vote, but amending the state’s constitution would make it more difficult to pass abortion bans or restrictions in the future.
The proposed language of the ballot measure also states that individuals or any health care provider “who acts consistent with the applicable scope and practice of providing reproductive health care services” cannot be penalized or prosecuted.
If the ballot measure receives a simple majority of the vote in November, it will then appear again on the 2026 ballot — a second passage is required to amend the state constitution.
“The support this initiative has received from Nevadans throughout the signature collection process shows what we’ve known to be true: Nevadans believe that healthcare decisions about abortion are best left to women, their doctors, and those they love and trust – not politicians,” said Lindsey Harmon, President of Nevadans for Reproductive Freedom, in a statement.
Support Our Cause
Thank you for taking the time to read our work. Before you go, we hope you'll consider supporting our values-driven journalism, which has always strived to make clear what's really at stake for Nevadans and our future.
Since day one, our goal here at The Nevadan / El Nevadense has always been to empower people across the state with fact-based news and information. We believe that when people are armed with knowledge about what's happening in their local, state, and federal governments—including who is working on their behalf and who is actively trying to block efforts aimed at improving the daily lives of Nevada families—they will be inspired to become civically engaged.
Misinformation about birth control is rampant on social media, alarming doctors
Doctors are concerned that misinformation about birth control might make some women get off it at a time when there are fewer options available for...
Crisis pregnancy centers give questionable advice on unproven ‘abortion pill reversal,’ study finds
A new study published in JAMA Internal Medicine found that 30% of these anti-abortion ‘fake clinics’ promote "abortion pill reversal," a treatment...
Opinion: Comstock is Trump and the GOP’s backdoor to a national abortion ban
In an op-ed, Kate Kelly highlights how the 1873 Comstock Act, passed at the behest of Anthony Comstock — a man so obsessed with abortion providers,...
Opinion: What’s at stake for Latinos in the election–and why voting matters
In just two weeks, voters across the country will have an opportunity to decide what future and vision we have for this country. As executive...
Opinion: The moral imperative to vote for reproductive freedom and against the vision of Project 2025
When it comes to securing the fundamental right to make our own reproductive health care decisions, it’s not always easy to see the connection to...
White House says health insurance needs to fully cover condoms, other over-the-counter birth control
The proposal comes days before Election Day, as Vice President Kamala Harris affixes her presidential campaign to a promise of expanding women's...