Ballot measures have been critical in defending abortion rights. Now, GOP politicians want to change the rules

Washington — On the heels of the overwhelming success abortion rights supporters saw at the ballot box in the 2022 election cycle, some GOP-led states have undertaken efforts to change the rules governing the ballot measure process, pushing new constraints that make it more difficult for initiatives to not only get on the ballot, but also to win approval. 

In all six states where the issue was on the ballot in 2022 — California, Michigan, Vermont, Kentucky, Montana and Kansas — the pro-abortion rights position won out. Voters in California, Michigan and Vermont all approved ballot measures in their states enshrining abortion rights into their respective constitutions, while proposals restricting abortion access in Kansas, Kentucky and Montana were rejected.