Voters reject abortion bans and Trump‑backed redistricting in US ballots

Voters in several US states have approved abortion‑rights measures and rejected proposals linked to President Donald Trump’s redistricting agenda.

In Missouri, a proposed constitutional amendment that would have reinstated tighter abortion restrictions was defeated, confirming the state’s earlier decision to overturn a ban. The measure would also have limited certain medical procedures for transgender minors.

Virginia voters approved an amendment creating a “fundamental right to reproductive freedom,” guaranteeing abortions in the first two trimesters, as well as rights to contraception and fertility care. In Nevada, a second‑vote amendment established a constitutional right to abortion until fetal viability, generally after 21 weeks.

Conversely, Idaho voters turned down a ballot initiative that sought to enshrine abortion rights in state law, leaving the existing ban largely unchanged.

On the redistricting front, Missouri voters rejected a Republican‑backed map designed to add a congressional seat in the Kansas City area, ending its use pending a public referendum. In Maryland, a constitutional amendment that could enable new congressional districts for the 2028 election was approved, a move backed by former President Barack Obama.

These outcomes come as Democrats took control of the US Congress in the recent mid‑term elections, while the US Supreme Court’s 2022 decision to overturn the nationwide right to abortion continues to shape state‑level ballot measures.

Source: ABC News. Photo: Edmond Dantès / Pexels.