Missouri Judge Orders Rewrite of 2026 Anti-Abortion Ballot Summary

A Cole County judge ruled that the ballot summary language for a 2026 Missouri constitutional amendment to repeal the 2024 abortion rights Amendment 3 was unconstitutional, ordering a rewrite to fairly inform voters. The current summary, drafted by Republican legislators and the secretary of state, was found to be misleading and insufficient because it failed to notify voters that the new measure would eliminate the existing abortion rights protections approved by voters last year. The proposed amendment would impose near-total abortion bans with exceptions for medical emergencies, fetal anomalies, rape, and incest, and also includes prohibitions on gender-affirming care for minors, which opponents argue violates the single-subject rule. Judge Daniel Green upheld the amendment's coherence under reproductive health care but instructed the secretary of state to provide a revised summary within seven days, with the case remaining open until approval. The ruling underscores ongoing tensions in Missouri's abortion legislation following the overturn of Roe v. Wade and reflects efforts by the GOP-led legislature to repeal voter-approved abortion rights. The ACLU and other advocacy groups represent plaintiffs challenging the ballot language as intentionally misleading and unfair to voters.