Unfettered Abortion on the Ballot: Why Christians Must Vote This Year 

In the aftermath of the Dobbs decision overturning Roe v. Wade, many state legislatures have passed pro-life laws. Unfortunately, many of these efforts have been undermined by ballot initiatives, which give the people the opportunity, for better or worse, to directly vote to amend state constitutions. 

This year, voters in four states — Idaho, Missouri, Nevada, and Virginia — will weigh in on constitutional amendments and statutory initiatives that could have a profound impact on the future of abortion in those states. 

For Christians, the upcoming mid-term election represents a very real and serious moral imperative, and for this reason alone, they must vote. We’re called by God to be stewards of justice, to defend the vulnerable, and to speak up for those who can’t speak up for themselves. In this case, lives are literally on the line.

Idaho: Proposition 1 and the Statutory Rights Debate

Idaho voters will vote on Proposition 1, a ballot measure that, if passed, would allow abortion, defined as the “right to reproductive freedom and privacy,” up to the point of “fetal viability,” which is undefined in the text of the question.

At present, Idaho is currently one of the most pro-life states in the country, as the legislature overwhelmingly passed a near total ban on abortion except in the case of rape and incest and to save the life of the mother, but the new amendment, if a majority of voters affirm it, would trip away all legislative pro-life protections up to fetal viability. It also allows abortion after viability for any undefined “medical emergency” and shields abortionists or others who assist with abortions from any criminal or civil liability.

Prop 1, which was put on the ballot after a pro-abortion group with the Orwellian moniker Idahoans United for Women and Families collected enough signatures to trigger an election, is a sneaky end-run around the state’s duly elected legislature to get rid of existing life-saving laws. For Christians in Idaho, voting “No” is critical to protecting the preborn and ensuring that Idaho will continue to recognize the sanctity of human life.

Missouri: The Amendment 3 Reversal Fight

Missouri’s fight over Amendment 3 is the culmination of a long constitutional battle. Following the Supreme Court’s Dobbs decision, Missouri’s legislature-enacted ban on most abortions was triggered and went into effect.

 In 2024, 51.6 percent of Missouri voters narrowly approved Amendment 3, which established a constitutional right to abortion. The amendment was so broad that courts struck down Missouri’s abortion restrictions and abortion is now allowed in Missouri through fetal viability.

Fetal viability is an imprecise term that refers to the point when a doctor believes a baby could survive outside the womb, usually around 23 or 24 weeks’ gestation. However numerous examples of babies born as early as 21 weeks’ gestation prove that the term viability is subjective. Abortions are also legal in Missouri after viability if a doctor says it is necessary to protect the mental health of the mother. 

Because of the 2024 Amendment 3’s sweeping language, legislators are halted from enacting any serious restrictions on abortion.

As a result, Missouri lawmakers proposed a new amendment on the 2026 ballot (also known as Amendment 3), setting up a high-stakes rematch over the state’s foundational law.

As per the official certified language from the Missouri Secretary of State, the 2026 Amendment 3 would expressly repeal the abortion provision that was adopted through the voting process two years ago. The new amendment, if passed, would then restore the state’s power to pass abortion restrictions and provide for specific exceptions including fatal fetal anomaly, medical emergency, and rape or incest. An abortion performed due to rape or incest must be performed prior to 12 weeks’ gestation.

Amendment 3 would prohibit abortions based on prenatal screenings or diagnosis of disability in the unborn child, as well as harvesting organs from aborted children. It would also require parental consent for any abortion performed on a minor and would ban gender transitions in minors. 

The amendment states explicitly that the state will not infringe on a woman’s ability to receive care for miscarriage, medical emergencies, or ectopic pregnancy.  

Voting “Yes” on the amendment would reaffirm the right of the duly elected legislature to pass laws reining in unfettered abortion and minor gender transitions, while a vote of “No” would keep the 2024 right to abortion in place.

In Missouri only a simple majority vote is needed to adopt amendments.

Nevada: Question 6 and the Two-Vote Constitutional Requirement

In Nevada, the battle over Question 6 illustrates a key mechanism in the convoluted amendment process: for citizen-initiated constitutional amendments, voters must approve them in two successive, even-year elections. Nevada voters approved Question 6 in 2024 with over 64 percent of voters saying “yes.”

To be enshrined in the state constitution, it would need to pass a second affirmative vote in 2026 by a simple majority. Nevada law currently permits abortion up to the point of fetal viability and beyond if a doctor determines it is necessary to save the life or health of the mother.  

If Question 6 is adopted, it would establish a constitutional right to abortion up to the point of fetal viability for both Nevada residents and those from out of state. The amendment would provide for very broad health exceptions in the case of procedures after viability. It also states that any state or local government agency that wants to restrict abortion must show a compelling governmental interest, which the amendment specifies as including only the benefit to a mother’s life or health and not the life of the child.

Question 6 would also remove current requirements that abortions performed after 24 weeks’ gestation be conducted in a hospital.

Pro-abortion groups dramatically outspent pro-life groups in 2024, with Nevadans for Reproductive Freedom PAC reporting $13 million in contributions, according to Ballotpedia. In 2026, pro-abortion groups have spent more than $1 million, while pro-life groups have spent less than $50,000.

Virginia: Question 1 and the Constitutional Threshold

In Virginia, voters are going to be voting on Question 1, a constitutional amendment establishing a broad constitutional right to “reproductive freedom.”

The proposed amendment, if passed, would allow abortion without restriction until the third trimester. The text purports to allow restrictions during the third trimester but actually stops the state from limiting abortion if a single doctor determines that continued pregnancy or childbirth would harm the physical or mental health of the mother. 

If passed, Question 1 would permanently prevent state lawmakers from imposing gestational limits or from enacting any real protective health measures for women and the unborn, and it would strip current protections under the law, including parental consent for any minor undergoing an abortion.

The question posed to voters reads as a manipulative emotional plea to rights and freedom in hopes of leading the voter to say “yes,” but in reality it effectively provides carte blanche abortion for any reason at any time. The text states, 

“Should the Constitution of Virginia be amended to (i) protect the freedom to make personal decisions about prenatal care, childbirth, postpartum care, birth control, abortion, miscarriage management, and fertility care; (ii) protect doctors, nurses, and patients from being punished for these decisions; and (iii) allow for restrictions on access to abortion during the third trimester of pregnancy except when the patient’s health is at risk or the pregnancy cannot survive?” 

For this amendment to be defeated, Christians must get to the polls and vote “No!” on Question 1.

The sanctity of life is not a political question; it is a profound moral issue. If Christians do not vote this year in massive numbers, abortion will become a permanent constitutional right in four more states — up to the moment of birth, for nebulous reasons, such as a mother being anxious over the impending birth.

These “rights” also ensure that late-term procedures will be done in secret, often in clinics, rather than hospitals, and without oversight or accountability. 

Christians can no longer afford to look away from the grim reality of late-term procedures. While proponents claim these measures are necessary to save the life or mental health of the mother, the Lozier Institute points out that standard of care for true pregnancy crisis is to deliver the child as easily and quickly as possible. The most obvious solution is an emergency C-section, which can be completed in as little as 15 to 20 minutes.

By contrast, a late-term abortion is an extremely invasive, grueling, multi-day process. The mother is induced and forced to go through full labor to vaginally deliver a dead, and often dismembered, child. Subjecting a woman to days of physical and emotional trauma does not solve a medical crisis; it simply replaces life-affirming emergency care with the painful destruction of a viable child.

“All it takes for evil to flourish is for good men to stand by and do nothing.” That warning, attributed to numerous philosophers throughout the ages, has its roots in biblical wisdom and has never been more relevant. 

In a constitutional republic, the people are the sovereign. Romans 13 makes it clear that God has ordained government as an instrument to restrain evil and to bring about justice. When the electorate votes for the “right” to destroy the lives of preborn human beings, the public authority has thereby failed in its God-given role to restrain evil and protect the innocent.

Christians must vote. If they don’t, they are handing their voice over to a culture that has become indifferent to the sanctity of life and increasingly tolerant of other evils, including infanticide. Standing for the preborn requires more than prayer and quiet assent. It requires active engagement in the political process, and Christians have a duty to steward their vote in accordance with the Word of God. 

To check your registration status, view sample ballots, or find your local election site, visit Vote.org.

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