Montana Campaign Submits Over 117,000 Signatures to Put Abortion on the Ballot
Helena, MT — On Friday, Montanans Securing Reproductive Rights took a major step forward by turning in more than 117,000 signatures from voters to put abortion on the ballot in November, the most for any ballot measure in Montana to date. The campaign, led by a coalition of state-based organizations and supported by the Fairness Project, is the latest to mark this milestone in an election year that is likely to have abortion- and reproductive rights-related ballot measures in more states than ever.
Constitutional Initiative 128 would enshrine the right for Montanans to make their own reproductive decisions about pregnancy and abortion into the state constitution. It would allow for limits on abortion after fetal viability while providing protections to ensure the health and safety of patients.
The signatures must now be verified by state officials over the coming weeks in order for the amendment to be certified for the general election.
“Nearly two years to the day since the fall of Roe, this marks not just an important milestone for the Montanans Securing Reproductive Freedom Campaign, but for the movement to secure abortion rights via ballot measures as a whole,” said Kelly Hall, executive director of the Fairness Project. “Extremist politicians and special interests have tried everything they can to stop voters from having a say on abortion rights — from attempting legal obstructions and delays, to actively harassing volunteers on the street. But Montanans are incredibly motivated to secure their rights and keep their health care decisions in their own hands, not politicians’, and so are millions of other voters across the country. The Fairness Project could not be prouder to support this essential work.”
The Fairness Project is working with local coalitions to support these efforts in several of the 23 states that allow citizen-initiated ballot measures, including Arizona, Florida, Missouri, and Montana. Previously, the Fairness Project helped to lead a coalition in Ohio that passed a constitutional amendment protecting abortion in 2023, as well as similar measures in Michigan and Vermont in 2022.