Missouri ballot measure · November 3, 2026

Missouri Amendment 3, explained

Repeal abortion rights amendment and ban gender transition care for minors. A ballot measure is a yes-or-no question put directly to voters — no candidate is involved, and the wording on the ballot is the wording that becomes law. This page shows that wording first, then what it actually changes.

The official wording

Shall the Missouri Constitution be amended to: Repeal the 2024 voter-approved Amendment providing reproductive healthcare rights, including abortion through fetal viability; Allow abortions for rape and incest (under twelve-weeks' gestation), emergencies, and fetal anomalies; Allow legislation regulating abortion; Ensure parental consent for minors' abortions; Prohibit gender transition procedures for minors? State governmental entities estimate no costs or savings. Greene County estimates it may experience an unknown increase in tax revenue. Other local governmental entities estimate no costs or savings.

This is what appears on the ballot. Everything below explains it.

What it actually means

Repeals the abortion rights amendment Missouri voters approved in 2024, which protects abortion until fetal viability, and replaces it with constitutional language allowing abortion only for medical emergencies, fetal anomalies, and rape or incest before 12 weeks. It also writes a ban on gender transition surgery, cross-sex hormones and puberty blockers for minors into the constitution.

If you vote YES

Article I, Section 36, the 2024 reproductive rights amendment, would be repealed.
Abortion could be restricted to medical emergencies, fetal anomalies, and rape or incest under 12 weeks' gestation, and the Legislature could pass laws regulating abortion providers and facilities.
Informed and voluntary consent would be required, including parental or judicial consent for minors, and public funding of abortion would be prohibited except in limited circumstances.
Care for medical emergencies, ectopic pregnancies and miscarriages would continue to be protected.
Gender transition surgeries, cross-sex hormones and puberty-blocking drugs for minors would be prohibited in the constitution, with exceptions for specific medical conditions.

If you vote NO

The 2024 amendment would remain in the constitution, and abortion would stay available through fetal viability.
The measure's limits to medical emergency, rape and incest under 12 weeks, and fetal anomalies would not take effect.
Gender transition procedures for minors would not be prohibited by the constitution; any existing restrictions in state statute would continue as law.

The numbers that matter

State fiscal impact: No costs or savings
2024 reproductive rights amendment vote: 53% yes
Rape and incest exception limit: Under 12 weeks' gestation

Why supporters say YES

The 2024 vote was close, and most Missourians are not comfortable with abortion without regulation; the amendment would allow policy more protective of mother and baby.
— Jamie Morris, executive director of the Missouri Catholic Conference
The 2024 amendment removed the Legislature's ability to require that only doctors perform abortions, that parents consent before a minor's abortion, and that clinics be licensed and inspected.
— Missouri Catholic Conference (Catholic Bishops of Missouri)

Why opponents say NO

Voters decided in 2024 to leave abortion decisions to patients, families and doctors; this amendment would reinstate a near-total ban and the restrictions that previously made care unattainable.
— Tori Schafer, ACLU of Missouri
Patients who can now get care without crossing state lines would lose it; voters should again reject politicians' interference in health care decisions.
— Margot Riphagen, Planned Parenthood Great Rivers Action

What’s genuinely uncertain

Registered committees supporting the amendment are Her Health, Her Future PAC and Missouri Right to Life PAC (Yes on 3); opposing committees are Stop the Ban, Protect Freedom and Democracy, and Abolish Abortion Missouri. Some opponents, such as Act for Missouri, oppose it because they say its exceptions go too far rather than too little.
A court (Fitz-James v. Hoskins) previously found the Secretary of State's ballot language failed to tell voters the measure would repeal the 2024 amendment; the certified title now states that explicitly.
How quickly abortion restrictions would take effect depends on laws the Legislature passes and on court rulings about existing statutes.

The bottom line

Restoring the Legislature's power to restrict abortion and constitutionally banning transition care for minors, against reversing the abortion rights voters approved in 2024.

One neutral sentence describing the tradeoff — not a recommendation.

Sources:sos.mo.gov ballotpedia.org missouriindependent.com

Checking it against the official text

The Missouri Secretary of State publishes the certified measures and, in most states, an official voter guide with fiscal notes. That is the authoritative version. Everything here is an explanation of it, not a substitute for it.

Confirm this with the official source

Your ballot is determined by your election authority, not by us. Verify your registration, precinct, and sample ballot at Missouri Secretary of State.

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