Abortion is on the ballot in Nevada: Here’s what to know about Question 6

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.

This November election, Nevadans will get the chance to vote on seven questions on their ballot. Here’s what you need to know specifically about ballot question 6 — the initiative aiming to guarantee abortion protections under the Nevada Constitution. 

If abortion is already protected in Nevada up to 24 weeks, why is Q6 on the ballot?

In 1990, Nevadans voted to make abortion access legal up to 24 weeks of pregnancy through a statewide referendum, yes. But the new ballot question asks voters whether they want that same protection to be included in the state constitution. The current statutory 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.

If it does not pass, current abortion protections and availability would remain the same under the statutory law. However, a national abortion ban — which many pro-choice advocates are worried would happen if former President Donald Trump wins the presidential election — would supersede all state protections. 

How does access to abortion uniquely affect Nevadans, especially the Latino community?

Since Roe v. Wade was struck down and several states have enacted harsh abortion bans, Nevada and its clinics have experienced an influx of patients. Some clinics in Nevada have even seen the number of patients from out of state tripled since 2022 — often creating long wait lists. 

About 31% of Nevada’s nearly one million women between 19 and 64 years old identified as Latino or Hispanic. White women make up the largest demographic at 42%. 

A report by the National Partnership for Women and Families found that Latinas are the largest group of women of color affected by abortion bans, as some 6.7 million live in states with such restrictions. 

Women with low incomes are especially impacted by state bans as they are more likely to not be able to travel to another state for abortion care and are more likely to be pushed deeper into poverty as a result. 

What does ballot question 6 say?

The ballot measure asks voters whether the Nevada Constitution should include “an individual’s fundamental right to an abortion [not just Nevadans’], without interference by state or local governments, whenever the abortion is performed by a qualified healthcare professional” until fetal viability, or around 24 weeks gestation. 

The amendment would also protect abortions necessary to protect the health or life of the pregnant individual at any point during the pregnancy. 

If you check yes, you’re agreeing to create a new section of the Nevada Constitution to establish a person’s constitutional right to abortion, so that a person can make decisions about abortion and reproductive healthcare, without interference from state or local governments.

Will the Nevada Constitution be amended right after the election if Q6 passes?

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.

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