In the wake of the Supreme Court’s landmark decision to overturn Roe v. Wade in 2022, the abortion rights movement initially found renewed optimism. A series of unexpected victories in ballot measures across various states—ranging from conservative strongholds like Kansas and Ohio to more moderate regions such as Michigan—sparked hope among advocates for reproductive rights.

However, this momentum faced a significant setback on November 5. On Election Day, while voters approved measures to safeguard abortion access in seven states, including Arizona, Missouri, and Nevada, three other significant proposals met defeat. Notably, a measure in Florida, which enjoyed strong majority support, fell short of the state’s stringent requirement of a 60 percent threshold for passage.

From the perspective of both proponents and opponents of abortion rights, one of the most pivotal outcomes of the night was the loss of Vice President Kamala Harris. Running on a platform centered around the defense of abortion access, Harris was defeated by Donald Trump, who took pride in the dismantling of Roe v. Wade, stating, “I’m proud to have done it.” This outcome prompted Kristan Hawkins, president of Students for Life of America, to comment on social media, “Remember when the overturning of Roe was supposed to cause a landslide Democrat victory? Lol.”

The election results illustrated a clear distinction voters made between viewing abortion as a standalone issue and its role as a factor in determining national leadership. In states such as Montana, Florida, Missouri, and Nevada, Trump emerged victorious even as abortion rights measures simultaneously garnered majority support.

In preparation for Election Day, medical professionals were actively canvassing to support Florida’s Amendment 4, which sought to enshrine a constitutional right to abortion in the state. Credit: Rebecca Blackwell/Associated Press

This mixed bag of results underscores the complexities inherent in the democratic process, revealing that voters can hold divergent opinions on various issues. While many of Harris’s supporters were deeply invested in the cause of abortion rights, for the broader electorate, reproductive rights ranked lower on the list of priorities compared to pressing concerns such as the economy, crime, and immigration. As Tresa Undem of the public opinion research firm PerryUndem noted, “It wasn’t a top issue for the country. It was a top issue for certain groups, like women of reproductive age.”