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Signs in support of the abortion rights amendment are displayed during a rally on September 5, 2024 in Bozeman, Montana.

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HELENA, Mont. – Montanans have voted to protect reproductive rights in the state Constitution, according to an Associated Press call.

Passage of the ballot initiative will not change the status quo – abortion remains legal and accessible in the state. Access is protected by a 1999 Montana Supreme Court precedent that found the state's right to privacy protects the right to an abortion. Courts have upheld this precedent In recent years, the state's Republican-majority government has sought to restrict abortion.

But reproductive rights advocates say the precedent could be overturned, as in the case of Roe v. Wade in the US Constitution.

The Constitution of Montana will now explicitly prohibit the government from burdening abortion rights before fetal viability – around 24 weeks of pregnancy. The measure also guarantees access to abortion after pregnancy to protect the life or health of the pregnant person.

Opponents, including Republican Gov. Greg Gianforte, say the measure is too extreme and argues it would allow abortion “up to the moment of birth.” KFF, a healthcare provider, says this claim is false.

Montana is one of 10 states voting on abortion. In Florida, a change failed to reach the 60 percent threshold. Meanwhile, voters in Missouri, Colorado and Maryland have passed reproductive rights protections.