Aug 20, 2024 - Health

Montana becomes 8th state to put abortion rights on the ballot

Rebecca Falconer

Demonstrators participate in a abortion-rights rally outside the Supreme Court as the justices of the court hear oral arguments in the case of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration v. Alliance for Hippocratic Medicine on March 26, 2024 in Washington, DC. — Abortion rights protesters rallying outside the U.S. Supreme Court earlier this year. Photo: Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images

Montana voters will cast ballots on whether to enshrine abortion rights protections into the state's constitution in November, per an online post from the state's top election official Tuesday.

Why it matters: Democrat-aligned groups had been working to put the state constitutional amendment on Montana's ballot in a move that would boost the re-election bid of embattled Sen. Jon Tester (D-Mont.).

The effort in Montana is part of a national strategy by Democrats to put abortion issues on the ballot in as many critical states as possible, per Axios' Alex Thompson and Stef W. Kight.

The big picture: Montana is now the eighth state to place the measure on the ballot this year, according to AP.

"All but one of the eight states are seeking to amend their constitutions," AP notes.

More from Axios:

Abortions exceed pre-Roe numbers as telehealth access grows
More than 171,000 people traveled out-of-state for abortions last year
Abortion provider protections prove crucial in a post-Roe world

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Montana becomes 8th state to put abortion rights on the ballot

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