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JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – Missourians of all political ideologies and backgrounds came together today to protect abortion rights by approving an amendment to their state constitution, delivering yet another victory for reproductive freedom at the ballot box and becoming the first state to overturn a total abortion ban since the fall of Roe v Wade. The Missourians for Constitutional Freedom campaign, backed by the Fairness Project, won its “Yes on 3” effort Tuesday night. At the time of the race call at 11:24 ET, the “Yes” votes were leading 53.8% to 46.2%.

“Missouri has been labeled a ‘red’ state, but tonight’s results clearly demonstrate that abortion is not a partisan issue – it’s a personal healthcare issue that Missourians from every political background agree should be left to women, their families and their doctors,” said Kelly Hall, Executive Director of the Fairness Project, which backed Missouri’s Yes on 3 campaign. “We are honored to have worked with the tireless advocates in Missouri to dismantle their state’s unjust and extreme ban on abortion care and to prove the power of direct democracy.”

While celebrating this victory with the people of Missouri, Hall also underscored the vital importance of ballot measures in reaffirming democratic values and reflecting the will of the people. “Missourians were able to come together to protect their rights and the rights of their fellow citizens through the power of the ballot measure process, without having to wait on their government officials to do the right thing,” Hall emphasized. “There is no greater antidote to the powerlessness so many Americans felt after the Dobbs decision than to see regular citizens take matters into their own hands, appeal to their fellow voters, and change the law.” 

For Rachel Sweet, Campaign Manager of Missourians for Constitutional Freedom, the organization behind the Yes on 3 campaign, the significance of tonight’s victory is clear. “The people of Missouri – be they Democrat, Republican, or independent – have resoundingly declared that they don’t want politicians involved in their private medical decisions.” Sweet continued, “With the help of the Fairness Project and the resources and strategic input they provided our campaign, we are so proud to enshrine every Missourian’s right to reproductive freedom in our state constitution and end Missouri’s harmful abortion ban once and for all.”

This victory in Missouri is by no means a first for the Fairness Project. Since 2022 and the overturn of Roe v Wade, 22 GOP-led state legislatures have enacted severe abortion restrictions or outright bans. To counteract these draconian measures, the Fairness Project began working with state-level partners on the ground to restore and protect reproductive rights with citizen-initiated ballot measures.

With an overall commitment of $30M this election cycle, the Fairness Project is the largest funder of abortion rights ballot campaigns in the U.S. The group has been providing crucial resources, technical expertise, strategic support, and more to campaigns on the ground in multiple states, including Florida, Arizona, Missouri, Nebraska, and Montana.

Having already carried more than 30 progressive ballot measures to victory, the overwhelming majority of which were in conservative and right-leaning states, the Fairness Project is widely considered the nation’s ballot measure leader. Thanks to its unique strategy in reaching Republican, independent, and undecided voters, the organization has been able to continue its electoral success in the 2024 campaign.

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