Dueling abortion measures to appear on Nebraska ballots

Nebraska Secretary of State Robert Evnen on Friday decided that two opposing constitutional amendments about abortion would appear before voters in November. The Protect the Right to Abortion amendment would give women in Nebraska the constitutional right to abort their unborn babies until they could survive outside the womb, which is usually in the last part of the second trimester. The Protect Women and Children amendment would grant constitutional protection to unborn babies in the second and third trimesters except in cases of medical emergencies.

Is having two competing amendments on the ballot allowed? Both amendments received a sufficient number of signatures to appear on the ballot, Evnen’s office said. But this was the first time in the state’s history that dueling amendments appeared on the same ballot, the secretary of state said.

How will officials decide which petition wins? Ballot measures need more supporting votes than opposed votes to pass, Evnen’s office said. But they also need support from at least 35 percent of all ballots cast in the election. If both measures satisfy both those requirements, the one with more supporting votes will carry the day.

Dig deeper: Read Brad Littlejohn’s column in WORLD Opinions arguing that to eliminate abortion from the United States, pro-lifers need to change the culture before they change policy.