abortion ban

A few hundred people attended a rally in front of the Idaho State Capitol on Saturday, Nov. 22, 2025, to support the start of signature gathering for an abortion rights ballot initiative. 

The group behind a proposed ballot initiative to end Idaho’s strict abortion ban says it’s well on its way to qualifying for the ballot.

Idahoans United for Women and Families announced last week that the group has collected more than 50,000 signatures so far — out of the nearly 71,000 signatures needed.

The ballot initiative, a power outlined in Idaho’s constitution, allows voters to propose their own policies that carry the power of law — if approved by a majority vote.

The group hopes to qualify the initiative, which would end Idaho’s near-total abortion ban and add protections for reproductive rights, for the November 2026 election.

“Crossing the 50,000 signature threshold is both a celebration and a clear signal that Idahoans want their voices heard,” Idahoans United for Women and Families’ Executive Director Melanie Folwell said in a statement. “Every signature is a reminder that these decisions belong with patients and their doctors, not with politicians.”

On Saturday, the group plans to host its largest signature gathering effort with events at dozens of small businesses across Idaho.

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