In a historic development, Nebraska will become the first state to have competing abortion measures on its November ballot since the overturn of Roe v. Wade in 2022. On Friday, Nebraska Secretary of State Bob Evnen announced the certification of two ballot measures, giving voters the opportunity to decide whether abortion access should be broadened or limited in the state.

The first measure, sponsored by Protect Our Rights, a coalition of local reproductive health rights groups, aims to enshrine the right to abortion when it is "needed to protect the life or health of the pregnant patient." Additionally, it seeks to extend abortion access up to fetal viability, which is typically around 24 weeks.

On the other hand, the second measure, supported by the anti-abortion group Protect Women and Children, seeks to enshrine Nebraska's current 12-week abortion ban in the state constitution. This measure has gained support from conservative lawmakers in the state, including Republican U.S. Sen. Pete Ricketts, who has contributed over $2 million to the petition.

Both campaigns surpassed expectations by collecting record-breaking amounts of signatures for their respective measures. Each measure garnered over 136,000 valid signatures, well above the required threshold. To qualify for the ballot, the groups had to collect signatures from approximately 123,000, or 10% of the state's registered voters, and signatures from 5% in at least 38 of Nebraska's 93 counties.

Nebraska Secretary of State Bob Evnen acknowledged the significance of this development, stating, "Barring any legal challenges, this November general election ballot will host two ballot measures that appear in direct conflict with each other, which could be the first time this has happened in Nebraska's history."

The winning measure will need to receive at least 35% of the vote this fall. Should both measures surpass this threshold, the one with the highest number of votes in November will be enacted.

Nebraska joins Missouri and Arizona as the latest states to certify abortion-related ballot measures. However, not all initiatives have had the same success. Abortion rights supporters in Arkansas were blocked from getting their measure on the ballot due to a paperwork error, as ruled by the Arkansas Supreme Court on Thursday.

As November approaches, Nebraska voters will have the crucial task of determining the future of abortion access in the state. The outcome of this historic ballot will not only impact Nebraska but could have broader implications for the national debate on reproductive rights.