The Nevada secretary of state's office reported that a proposal to amend the state constitution that seeks to establish access to abortion as a protected right in the state will be put to a vote in the November general election.

The measure was approved to appear on the ballot after the group Nevadans for Reproductive Freedom met the necessary requirements, including verification of approximately 200,000 signatures from registered voters.

The proposal

The amendment proposes to incorporate into the Nevada Constitution the right to abortion up to the point of fetal viability, which is generally around 24 weeks of pregnancy. Although abortion is currently already legal in Nevada up to 24 weeks, the proposal seeks to secure this right at a constitutional level to make it more difficult for future lawmakers to change this regulation compared to ordinary state laws, thus providing more durable protection of the right to an abortion.

A measure "based on lies"

Opponents of the amendment argue that the language of the proposal could be misleading to voters by suggesting it introduces a significant change when in fact abortion is already legal in Nevada up to 24 weeks.

Krystal Minera-Alvis, spokeswoman for the pro-life group Nevada Right to Life, expressed concern that the measure could confuse citizens. "If the average Nevadan finds out what the law already is, what’s already legalized, they would not vote for it (...) as an organization, we stand firm on the fact that this amendment is unsafe and dangerous for women of all ages," she said.

Rather than an actual legislative need, the amendment could be a strategy to boost Democratic turnout in Nevada, a battleground state with competitive races for both the presidency and the U.S. Senate.

The legal process

If the amendment is approved in November, it will not take effect immediately. Under state law, the measure must be put to a second vote in 2026 to be formally incorporated into the Nevada Constitution. This double-ballot process is designed to ensure that only amendments with broad popular support become permanent changes to state law.