One of the strictest abortion bans in the United States will be on the ballot this November, after Idaho’s secretary of state certified a measure that would reverse the state’s current ban prohibiting abortion at all stages of pregnancy.

The initiative, led by the volunteer group Idahoans United for Women & Families, collected over 100,000 signatures, surpassing the 70,725 required to qualify for the ballot. If approved, the measure would establish a law guaranteeing "reproductive freedom" rather than amending the state constitution.

This change would restore Idaho’s abortion laws to a framework similar to that before the 2022 Supreme Court decision overturning Roe v. Wade, which had allowed states to ban abortion. Under the proposed law, abortion would be permitted until fetal viability, generally considered to be after about 21 weeks of pregnancy.

The existing ban has posed challenges for healthcare providers in Idaho, with many reportedly leaving the state due to severe penalties associated with providing abortion care. In 2023, four women filed a lawsuit against the state after experiencing pregnancy complications and being unable to obtain abortions.

David Ripley, CEO of the anti-abortion group Idaho Chooses Life, has announced plans to campaign against the measure. He told the Associated Press, "This is going to have a profound impact on Idaho, and will basically invalidate virtually every pro-life law that the legislature has enacted over the last 30 to 40 years."

The vote in November will determine whether Idaho reverses its strict abortion ban and adopts a law allowing abortion access until fetal viability.

Sources