Idaho's secretary of state certified a historic ballot measure on Monday, setting the stage for voters to decide the future of the state's strict abortion laws this November.
The initiative aims to overturn the current prohibition on abortions at all stages of pregnancy.
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A volunteer-led organization, Idahoans United for Women & Families, spearheaded the petition drive, gathering over 100,000 signatures—well above the required 70,725 verified signatures.
If passed, the measure would establish a statutory law protecting reproductive freedom, functioning as a direct legislative change rather than a constitutional amendment.
The proposed framework would return Idaho's regulations to a status similar to the legal environment before the U.
S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v.
Wade in 2022.
It would permit abortions up to fetal viability, typically around 21 weeks, while protecting choices regarding contraception and fertility treatments.
Following the federal shift, advocacy groups have used state-level referendums to restore access. Nationwide, abortion rights advocates have lost four statewide votes but won 14 referendums.
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Idaho is one of six states with an abortion ban lacking exceptions for the pregnant individual's health.
Current law allows exceptions to save the mother's life and for rape or incest, and it was the first state to criminalize helping a minor obtain an abortion without parental consent.
Medical professionals have faced severe challenges under these regulations.
Numerous doctors have relocated from Idaho due to stringent penalties, and four women sued the state in 2023 after experiencing severe pregnancy complications.
Opponents are organizing a counter-campaign to preserve the current restrictions.
David Ripley, CEO of the anti-abortion group Idaho Chooses Life, told the Associated Press, "This is going to have a profound impact on Idaho and will basically invalidate virtually every pro-life law that the legislature has enacted over the last 30 to 40 years."
The certification comes alongside nationwide legislative adjustments.
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Virginia and Nevada are exploring constitutional amendments to secure abortion rights up to 24 weeks, while Missouri voters will decide whether to reinstate a previous ban dismantled by a constitutional amendment in 2024.
