A deep dive into spending on abortion-related ballot measures in 2024

By

Ethan Sorell

Welcome to the Wednesday, Oct. 2, Brew. 

By: Ethan Sorell

Here’s what’s in store for you as you start your day:

  1. Right-to-abortion ballot measure PACs reported 10 times more in contributions than opposition campaigns in 2024 so far
  2. 50 states in 25 days–Illinois and Oregon
  3. Join the Ballotpedia Society!

Right-to-abortion ballot measure PACs reported 10 times more in contributions than opposition campaigns in 2024 so far

Leading up to the Nov. 5 elections, we’re bringing you comprehensive information about ballot measures nationwide. Over the past two weeks, we’ve looked at nationwide ballot measure trends, property tax measures, and ballot measures disqualifications. Today, we turn our attention to campaign finance and the single-year record 11 abortion-related ballot measures.

Voters in Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Maryland, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New York, Nevada, and South Dakota will decide on 10 measures that would provide a constitutional right to abortion, while one measure in Nebraska would place a constitutional limit on abortion after the first trimester.

Eleven Political Action Committees (PACs) describe themselves as pro-choice or pro-reproductive rights (hereafter, pro-choice campaigns), and 17 as pro-life (hereafter, pro-life campaigns).

Per the latest campaign finance reports, the pro-choice PACs raised $111.7 million and spent $69.1 million, while pro-life PACs raised $10.4 million and spent $4.93 million. In total, the pro-choice PACs raised 10.7 times more than pro-life PACs while reporting 14 times more in expenditures.

The chart below shows the year-end total campaign finances raised on abortion-related ballot measures since 2016, grouped by pro-life and pro-choice PACs. To this point, the 2024 year-to-date cumulative contributions to abortion-related measures between both types of PACs surpasses every years’ total since 2016.

Several PACs have donated to multiple campaigns. The Fairness Project contributed $7.1 million to the abortion measures in Arizona, Missouri, and Montana. The Sixteen Thirty Fund contributed $3.8 million to the measures in Arizona, Montana, and Nevada, and the American Civil Liberties Union contributed $3.2 million to measures in Arizona, Florida, and Missouri. This does not include contributions from statewide chapters of these organizations.

Let’s dive into the individual measures and the campaign contributions supporting and opposing these measures. 

  1. Arizona Proposition 139 would establish a state constitutional right to abortion before the point of fetal viability. Through July 13, Arizona for Abortion Access PAC, the campaign supporting the measure, raised $23.1 million and spent $13.4 million. The It Goes Too Far PAC, the campaign opposing the amendment, raised $866,335 and spent $473,733. The next campaign finance deadline in Arizona is Oct. 15.
  2. Colorado Amendment 79 would provide a right to abortion in the state constitution and allow abortion to be a covered service under health insurance plans. Through Sept. 11, Coloradans for Protecting Reproductive Freedom, the campaign supporting the measure, raised $8 million and spent $5.8 million. The campaigns opposing the amendment–Pro-Life Colorado Fund, Coloradans for the Protection of Women and Children, and Vote No on 79–raised $140,979 and spent $27,157 in expenditures. The next reporting deadline is Oct. 6.
  3. The most expensive abortion-related ballot measure is Florida Amendment 4, which would provide a constitutional right to abortion “before viability or when necessary to protect the patient’s health, as determined by the patient’s healthcare provider.” Through Aug. 30, Florida Protecting Freedom, the campaign supporting the measure, raised $51.45 million and spent $28.9 million. The campaigns opposing the amendment–Florida Voters Against Extremism, Keep Florida Pro Life, Do No Harm Florida, and Life First PC, and Florida Freedom Fund–raised $5.3 million and spent $883,374. The next reporting deadline is Oct. 4.
  4. Maryland Question 1 would guarantee a right to reproductive freedom, including the ability to prevent, continue, or end one’s own pregnancy. Through Aug. 27, Freedom in Reproduction, the campaign supporting the measure, raised $568,361 and spent  $272,534. Health Not Harm MD, the campaign opposing the amendment, raised $82,817 and spent $42,493. The next reporting deadline is Oct. 11.
  5. Missouri Amendment 3 would provide a right to reproductive freedom, and provide that the Legislature may regulate abortion after fetal viability. Through July 25, Missourians for Constitutional Freedom and Abortion Action Missouri, the campaigns supporting the measure, raised $5.6 million and spent $3.9 million. Missouri Stands with Women, the campaign opposing the amendment, raised $198,089 and spent $182,631. Campaigns will next report contributions on Oct. 15.
  6. Montana CI-128 would provide a state constitutional “right to make and carry out decisions about one’s own pregnancy, including the right to abortion,” and allow the state to regulate abortion after fetal viability, except when “medically indicated to protect the life or health of the pregnant patient.” Through Aug. 25, Montanans Securing Reproductive Rights, the campaign supporting the measure, raised $11.8 million and spent eight million. The campaigns opposing the amendment–Defend Life and Montana Life Defense Fund–raised $27,539 and spent $25,966. The next reporting deadline is Oct. 30. 

Voters in Nebraska will decide on two competing abortion-related ballot measures on Nov. 5.

  1. Nebraska Initiative 434 would prohibit abortions after the first trimester unless necessitated by a medical emergency or the pregnancy is a result of sexual assault or incest. Through July 30, Protect Women & Children, the campaign supporting the measure, raised $3.1 million and spent $2.7 million. The next reporting deadline is Oct. 7.
  2. Nebraska Initiative 439 would establish a constitutional right to abortion until fetal viability. Through July 30, Protect Our Rights, the campaign supporting the measure, raised $3.7 million and spent three million.
  3. Nevada Question 6 would establish a constitutional right to abortion. The measure would allow the state to regulate abortion after fetal viability, except where medically indicated to protect the life, physical health, or mental health of the pregnant woman. Through June 30, Nevadans for Reproductive Freedom PAC, the campaign supporting the measure, raised $4.7 million and spent $3.8 million. The Coalition for Parents and Children, the campaign opposing the amendment, raised $4.7 million and spent $3.8 million. The next reporting deadline is Oct. 15.
  4. New York Proposal 1 would prohibit the denial of a person’s rights based on the person’s “ethnicity, national origin, age, [and] disability,” as well as the person’s “sex, including sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, pregnancy, pregnancy outcomes, and reproductive healthcare and autonomy.” Through July 11, New Yorkers for Equal Rights, the campaign supporting the measure, raised $2.7 million and spent $1.9 million. Coalition to Protect Kids-NY, the campaign opposing the amendment, raised $274,834 in and spent $241,942. The next reporting deadline is Oct. 4.
  5. South Dakota Constitutional Amendment G would provide a trimester framework for regulating abortion. During the first trimester of pregnancy, the state would be prohibited from regulating a woman’s decision to have an abortion. During the second trimester of pregnancy, the state may regulate abortion, but “only in ways that are reasonably related to the physical health of the pregnant woman.” During the third trimester of pregnancy, the state may regulate or prohibit abortion, except “when abortion is necessary, in the medical judgment of the woman’s physician, to preserve the life and health of the pregnant woman.” Through May 15, Dakotans for Health, the campaign supporting the measure, raised $349,273 and spent $308,945. Life Defense Fund, the campaign opposing the amendment, raised $366,740 and spent $318,300 in expenditures. The next reporting deadline is Oct. 21.

To learn more about abortion ballot measures, click the link below. 

Keep reading 

50 states in 25 days–Illinois and Oregon

Election Day is fast approaching. Long-time Brew readers will remember our 50 states in 50 days and 50 states in 25 days series from previous election years. Yesterday, we looked at what’s on the ballot in Virginia and Vermont. With 23 business days between now and the final Friday before the election, let’s continue digging into what voters across the country can expect to see on their ballots. Today, we’re looking at Illinois and Oregon.

Illinois

Let’s start with a look at some key dates and deadlines in Illinois.

  • The deadline for registering in person or by mail is Oct. 8, and the deadline for registering online is Oct. 20. Early voting began Sept. 26 and ends on Nov. 4. 
  • All polls open from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. Central Time. Everyone who is in line when the polls close must be allowed to vote. Voters can find polling locations here. 

What’s on the ballot?

Oregon

Next up is Oregon. 

  • The deadline for registering in person, by mail, or online is Oct. 15. Since it is an all-mail voting state, Oregon permits early voting. Ballots must be received or mailed with a valid post​mark by 8 p.m. on Election Day.​​​​​​​​​ Learn more by visiting this website. 
  • All polls open from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. Pacific Time. Everyone who is in line when the polls close must be allowed to vote. Voters can find polling locations here. 

What’s on the ballot?

  • Oregon voters will elect six U.S. Representatives. One U.S. House district is open because the incumbent did not run for re-election.
  • There are three state executive offices up for election: attorney general, secretary of state, and treasurer. All three offices are contested.
  • All 60 seats in the state House and 15 of 30 seats in the state Senate are up for election. There are seven open seats in both the state House and Senate. Democrats hold a 34-24 advantage in the Oregon House and a 17-12 advantage in the Senate. Since Oregon’s governor is also Democratic, it has a Democratic trifecta.
  • Five seats on the state supreme court and four on the intermediate appellate court are up for election. Oregon is one of 13 states that use nonpartisan elections at the state supreme court level and one of 16 states that use this selection method at the intermediate appellate level.
  • Municipal elections will be held in Portland for mayor, city auditor, and city council, in Salem for mayor and city council, and in Multnomah County for county commission, soil and water conservation districts, and circuit court judges.
  • Multnomah is one of 80 counties included in Ballotpedia’s coverage of municipal elections.

Want to learn more about the elections you’ll be voting in this year? Click here to use our Sample Ballot Lookup tool!

The information above is just a small snippet of the detailed information on Ballotpedia for each state. You can check out our deep dive into Illinois’ 2024 elections here and Oregon’s 2024 elections here.

Also, make sure to check back to our hub page, linked below, for future installments of the series.

Keep reading

Keep reading 

Join the Ballotpedia Society!

At Ballotpedia, our mission is to provide every American with easy access to reliable election information—all in one place, at Ballotpedia.org. We believe that no voter should have to search through multiple sources to get a full picture of the candidates and issues on their ballot.

Your support is crucial to empowering voters with the information they need to make informed decisions. By joining the Ballotpedia Society with a monthly donation, you’ll help us keep millions of voters informed, engaged, and empowered as they head to the polls.

Will you take a moment today to support Ballotpedia by joining the Ballotpedia Society? Your contribution will help us continue to provide the robust, nonpartisan coverage that voters across the country rely on.

Keep reading