Seven of the Eight Health Measures on the Ballot Are Decided. Colorado's Is Still Too Close to Call.
Missouri kept its abortion-rights amendment, Idaho its ban, and South Dakota rejected a Medicaid trigger. Colorado's Proposition 135 led but was uncalled.
Seven of the eight statewide health measures on the Nov. 3 ballot had a result by Thursday morning, Nov. 5. Colorado's Proposition 135, on surgery for minors, had not been called. We checked official state results pages between 9:15 and 9:40 a.m. Eastern on Nov. 5, and news reports of Associated Press calls where a state page was not available to us. All counts are unofficial until each state certifies them.
This follows our Election Day overview of the eight measures, which set out what a yes or a no would change for physicians in each state.
How did the abortion measures come out?
The side favoring abortion rights won in three states and lost in Idaho. In Virginia, Question 1, which adds a right to reproductive freedom to the state constitution, had 2,194,746 yes votes to 1,318,179 no, or 62.48 percent, with all 133 localities reporting on the Virginia Department of Elections results page, last updated at 9:20 a.m. Nov. 5.
In Missouri, voters rejected Amendment 3, which would have repealed the abortion-rights amendment adopted in 2024. The count stood at 1,173,172 no to 941,065 yes in unofficial results as of 1 a.m. Mountain time Nov. 4, Boise State Public Radio reported. KOMU reported the no share at 55.5 percent, citing the Associated Press.
In Nevada, the Associated Press projected that Question 6 would pass, with 63.3 percent support as of Wednesday morning, News 3 Las Vegas reported. Voters also approved it in 2024, and an initiated constitutional amendment in Nevada must pass twice, so a right to abortion until fetal viability, or later when needed to protect the patient's life or health, now moves into the state constitution.
In Idaho, Proposition 1 failed, 404,827 no to 318,822 yes, or 55.94 percent against, on the Idaho Secretary of State's results page, last updated Nov. 4 at 5:15 p.m. The state's near-total ban stays in place. Blaine Conzatti of the Stop Prop 1 campaign told Boise State Public Radio, "This is what we were expecting." Melanie Folwell of Idahoans United for Women and Families said in a statement that "women will continue to suffer needlessly under one of the most cruel abortion bans in the nation."
For physicians in Idaho and Missouri, the legal framework they practiced under on Monday is the one they practice under today. In Nevada and Virginia, the change is to the constitution, and the statutes and regulations that apply it come next.
What about Medicaid, gender care and the California measures?
South Dakota rejected Amendment I, 165,407 no to 131,197 yes, with all 671 precincts reporting on the Secretary of State's results page, last updated at 8:20 a.m. Central Nov. 5. By our arithmetic, that is 44.2 percent yes. Medicaid expansion stays in the state constitution without a tie to the 90 percent federal match.
Missouri's Amendment 3 also included a constitutional ban on gender transition procedures for minors. Its defeat leaves the state's 2023 statute in force; that law has a sunset provision set for 2027, KY3 reported. In Colorado, Proposition 135 led 52.15 percent to 47.85 percent in an unofficial tally as of 7:44 p.m. Nov. 4, Colorado Politics reported, and had not been called. Supporters, including Protect Kids Colorado, argue such surgeries should wait until adulthood; opponents, including the ACLU of Colorado, say the decision belongs to the minor, the parents and the doctor.
In California, the Secretary of State's statewide report as of 7:20 p.m. Nov. 4 showed Proposition 44, requiring community clinics to spend 90 percent of revenue on program services, failing with 81.9 percent no. Proposition 38, immunology research bonds, led with 55.5 percent yes.
What do the margins show?
Our count of the decided margins, from the figures above: Virginia, about 877,000 votes. Missouri, about 232,000 at the 1 a.m. count. Idaho, about 86,000. South Dakota, about 34,000. California's Proposition 44, close to 5 million. The Colorado measure was the only one of the eight within five percentage points.
What should practices do now?
Nothing changes at the bedside today in Idaho, Missouri or South Dakota. In Nevada and Virginia, watch for implementing legislation, licensing board guidance and court challenges. Our earlier explainer on what Proposition 1 would have changed in Idaho lays out the current law and its narrow exceptions, which remain in force. Colorado practices that perform or bill for the surgeries in Proposition 135 should wait for the call and, if it passes, its effective date before changing scheduling or claims.
Reported, fact-checked and edited by The Script Pad's editorial staff. See How we use AI.
This article is for professional education and does not replace clinical judgment. Treatment decisions should be based on the individual patient and current guidelines.
