Nevada Question 6 won voter approval in the November 3, 2026, election, completing the second statewide vote required to establish abortion rights in the state constitution. The Associated Press projected the measure would pass, according to local broadcaster KSNV.
KSNV reported support at about 63.3% on Wednesday morning. Ballotpedia also listed the initiative as approved, with its displayed tally showing 602,736 votes in favor and 349,543 against. Those figures are preliminary, rather than a certified final count.
The outcome adds constitutional protection to a state where abortion was already legal under statute. A formal step remains before the amendment takes effect: Nevada’s Constitution ties that change to completion of the statewide vote canvass by the state Supreme Court.
What Nevada Question 6 Protects
The measure establishes an individual’s fundamental right to an abortion performed by a qualified healthcare professional until fetal viability. It also protects abortion when necessary to preserve the pregnant individual’s life or health at any point in pregnancy.
The official ballot explanation published by Douglas County describes viability as a clinical judgment about the likelihood of sustained survival outside the uterus without extraordinary medical measures. That judgment belongs to the patient’s treating healthcare practitioner.
The amendment limits interference by state and local governments. Under the official explanation, a restriction must serve a compelling interest in protecting or improving the pregnant person’s life or health, follow clinical standards and use the least restrictive means.
The ballot materials also explain that the right allows individuals to make their own decisions. It does not require anyone to have an abortion.
Why Voters Had to Approve It Twice
Nevada Question 6 first passed in November 2024. Ballotpedia records that election’s result as 64.36% in favor and 35.64% against. That first approval advanced the initiative but did not, by itself, place the protection in the constitution.
Nevada’s process for citizen-initiated constitutional amendments requires approval at two successive general elections. The same proposal therefore returned to voters in 2026, giving them a second opportunity to accept or reject it.
Article 19 of the Nevada Constitution sets out that procedure. After the second approval, the amendment becomes part of the constitution upon completion of the Supreme Court’s canvass, subject to provisions addressing conflicting amendments.
Abortion Was Already Legal Under State Law
The official ballot digest explains that existing Nevada law permits abortion within 24 weeks of the start of pregnancy. An exception permits abortion later when a physician reasonably believes it is necessary to preserve the pregnant person’s life or health.
Existing law also requires abortions performed after the 24th week to take place in a state-licensed hospital. These provisions describe the statutory framework voters considered when deciding whether to add a constitutional protection.
The statutory protections also have a history of voter approval. Ballotpedia notes that a 1990 referendum upheld Nevada’s abortion law and restricted the Legislature’s ability to change it without another public vote.
The distinction was central to the campaign. KSNV reported that supporters argued reproductive decisions should remain with patients and medical professionals. Opponents argued that the measure was unnecessary because abortion was already legal and that its fiscal consequences could not be determined.
What Happens After Nevada Question 6 Passes
The statewide canvass is the next formal milestone. Nevada election law requires the Supreme Court justices, or a majority of them, to meet with the secretary of state on the fourth Tuesday of November after a general election to canvass statewide and district returns, including ballot questions.
For the 2026 election, that statutory date falls on November 24. The canvass is an official review of election returns; it should not be confused with a court deciding whether it agrees with the amendment’s policy.
Until that process is completed, reporting should distinguish the projected passage of Nevada Question 6 from its formal effective date. The voters have supplied the required second approval, while the constitutional change awaits completion of the prescribed canvass.
