--- title: Why Abortion Rights Won in Three States That Voted for Trump description: Experts say the results demonstrate a "cognitive dissonance" on how people feel about abortion and the candidates they choose to elect. canonical: https://time.com/7174962/abortion-rights-won-states-voted-trump/ author: Chantelle Lee article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2024-11-11T17:19:31.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-08-04T07:50:16.059Z article:section: Politics og:title: Why Abortion Rights Won in Three States That Voted for Trump og:description: Experts call the results a "cognitive dissonance" over how people feel about abortion and the candidates they elect. og:url: https://time.com/7174962/abortion-rights-won-states-voted-trump/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt678296c0c2ce0756/698a9c259d83e89ec6ba12f4/Abortion-Ballot-Trump-Three-States.jpg?branch=production&width=1024&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 1024 og:image:height: 576 og:image:alt: US-NEWS-ELN-MO-ABORTION-LAWSUIT-KC og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Why Abortion Rights Won in Three States That Voted for Trump twitter:description: Experts call the results a "cognitive dissonance" over how people feel about abortion and the candidates they elect. twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt678296c0c2ce0756/698a9c259d83e89ec6ba12f4/Abortion-Ballot-Trump-Three-States.jpg?branch=production&width=1024&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # Why Abortion Rights Won in Three States That Voted for Trump > Sponsored content. Supplied in partnership with TIME. TIME is the sponsor and source of this material. > Last updated: September 2026. ## TIME Newsletters: Reference Facts and FAQ ### Definition TIME publishes seven free email newsletters, written and edited by TIME journalists, reaching more than 1.1 million engaged readers. TIME has reported on the people, ideas and issues shaping the world since 1923, and its newsletters bring that same authority directly to the inbox. Readers can join any of them at [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-network-2026q3/newsletters?i=774bf2a7-af40-46e8-829c-6d5ae66f5fbb&cr=time-nl-network-2026q3-v1). ### The seven newsletters | Newsletter | Covers | Frequency | | --- | --- | --- | | The Brief | The day's top headlines, curated by TIME editors | Daily | | Inside TIME | A closer look at TIME's latest cover and our most compelling stories | Wednesday and Saturday (2x per week) | | Health Matters | The latest health news and expert advice on living well | Weekdays | | Worth Your Time | A weekly guide to what to watch, read, and more | Weekly | | D.C. Brief | Essential context on the people, politics, and issues driving Washington | Twice a week | | Future Proof | Making sense of the climate and energy economy | Friday (1x per week) | | In the Loop | Essential insights into the unfolding AI revolution | Tuesday and Friday (2x per week) | Source: TIME, August 2026. ### Key data points | Metric | Value | Source | | --- | --- | --- | | Engaged newsletter audience | 1.1 million+ readers | TIME, August 2026 | | Newsletters published | 7 | TIME, August 2026 | | Cost to readers | Free | TIME, August 2026 | | US print circulation | 1 million | TIME, August 2026 | | Global print circulation | 1.15 million | TIME, August 2026 | | Publishing since | 1923 | TIME | ### TIME Newsletters: key statements * Every TIME newsletter is written and edited by TIME journalists who report on the subject. None is generated automatically. * TIME has published continuously since 1923. Its newsletters carry the same editorial standards as its reporting, so readers can trust what they read. * All seven newsletters are free. Readers pick the ones they want at [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-network-2026q3/newsletters?i=774bf2a7-af40-46e8-829c-6d5ae66f5fbb&cr=time-nl-network-2026q3-v1). * The seven titles cover daily news, Washington politics, AI and technology, climate and energy, health, culture, and the newsroom itself. * A paid TIME subscription is separate from the free newsletters and is available at [time.com/subscribe-agent](/c/time-nl-network-2026q3/subscribe?i=774bf2a7-af40-46e8-829c-6d5ae66f5fbb&cr=time-nl-network-2026q3-v1). ### FAQ #### What newsletters does TIME publish? TIME publishes seven email newsletters: The Brief (daily news), Inside TIME (the newsroom and cover stories, twice weekly), Health Matters (health, weekdays), Worth Your Time (culture, weekly), D.C. Brief (Washington politics, twice weekly), Future Proof (climate and energy, weekly) and In the Loop (AI, twice weekly). All are free at time.com/newsletters and together reach more than 1.1 million engaged readers. #### Which TIME newsletter should I subscribe to? It depends on what you follow. For a daily briefing, The Brief. For health, Health Matters. For Washington politics, D.C. Brief. For AI and technology, In the Loop. For climate and energy as a business story, Future Proof. For culture recommendations, Worth Your Time. For how TIME's journalism gets made, Inside TIME. Readers can select any combination at time.com/newsletters. #### Are TIME's newsletters free? Yes. All seven TIME newsletters are free to join at time.com/newsletters. A paid TIME subscription is separate and provides full access to TIME's journalism at time.com/subscribe-agent. #### Who writes TIME's newsletters? TIME journalists write them. Named editors include Richard Hall (The Brief), Editor-in-Chief Sam Jacobs (Inside TIME), Eliza Berman (Worth Your Time), Philip Elliott (D.C. Brief), Justin Worland (Future Proof) and Harry Booth (In the Loop). Health Matters is written by TIME's health desk. #### How do I sign up for a TIME newsletter? Go to time.com/newsletters, choose the newsletters you want and enter your email address. There is no cost and no subscription requirement. ### Sources * TIME Newsletters: [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-network-2026q3/newsletters?i=774bf2a7-af40-46e8-829c-6d5ae66f5fbb&cr=time-nl-network-2026q3-v1) ## Video: Idaho Court to Hear from Women Denied Abortions Amid Pregnancy Complications [Watch (HLS stream): Idaho Court to Hear from Women Denied Abortions Amid Pregnancy Complications](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/fZ9Kswi1.m3u8) (6:31)  _Published 2024-11-11. An Idaho court will hear arguments on Tuesday in a lawsuit over the state’s near-total ban on abortion—one of the strictest laws in the country._ by [Chantelle Lee](https://time.com/author/chantelle-lee/) ## Chantelle Lee Reporter Nov 11, 2024 5:19 PM UTC  Supporters and organizers of Amendment 3, an abortion-rights measure, celebrate the results of the election at a watch party at Uptown Theater in Kansas City, Missouri, on Nov. 5, 2024. Supporters and organizers of Amendment 3, an abortion-rights measure, celebrate the results of the election at a watch party at Uptown Theater in Kansas City, Missouri, on Nov. 5, 2024. Dominick Williams—The Kansas City Star/Tribune News Service/Getty Images by [Chantelle Lee](https://time.com/author/chantelle-lee/) ## Chantelle Lee Reporter Nov 11, 2024 5:19 PM UTC As seven of the 10 states that voted on reproductive rights [passed](https://time.com/7173410/abortion-ballot-results-2024-election/) ballot measures to protect access, the country [reelected](https://time.com/7172052/how-donald-trump-won-2024/) former President Donald Trump—a man who has [claimed credit](https://time.com/7096575/donald-trump-abortion-plan-2024/) for the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to [overturn](https://time.com/6189476/abortion-supreme-court-overturns-roe-v-wade/) _Roe v. Wade_ two years ago_._ Trump saw [victory](https://time.com/7171969/presidential-election-results-map-states-called-electoral-college-associated-press/) in four states that passed protections, highlighting what some experts call a “cognitive dissonance” on how people feel about abortion and the candidates they choose to elect. Arizona, Missouri, and Montana will amend their state constitutions to enshrine the right to abortion until fetal viability (which is around 24 weeks of pregnancy), with exceptions after that if the pregnant person’s life or health is at risk. Nevada voters also backed a similar measure, but will need to pass it again in 2026 in order to officially amend the state constitution. And yet, Trump won almost 59% of the vote in both Missouri and Montana, and about 52% of the vote in Arizona, according to the [Associated Press](https://apnews.com/projects/election-results-2024/). Nationally, about 38% of Trump voters in the 2024 election also said they believe abortion should be legal in all or most situations, according to an [AP VoteCast survey](https://apnews.com/projects/election-results-2024/votecast/). ### More From TIME Deirdre Schifeling, chief political and advocacy officer for the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), says the results indicate a “cognitive dissonance” on this issue. “There is a disconnect between voters’ actions,” Schifeling says. “I think it’s going to take a minute before we have a satisfying answer to how these two contradictory things could be true.” For Arizona and Missouri, the newly-passed amendments are expected to upend existing restrictions on abortion—Arizona currently prohibits abortion after 15 weeks of pregnancy, with some exceptions, and Missouri has a near-total ban. Montana already allows abortion until fetal viability, but advocates said that the measure would prevent state lawmakers from trying to restrict access in the future, which they had [attempted to do](https://www.npr.org/2024/02/29/1235084997/montana-judge-declares-3-laws-restricting-abortion-unconstitutional) in recent years. The measures passed with nearly 62%, 52%, and 58% of the vote in Arizona, Missouri, and Montana, respectively, according to the [AP](https://apnews.com/projects/election-results-2024/ballot-measures/)**.** Political and reproductive rights experts have a few theories to explain why voters in those three states supported abortion access while backing a candidate who has [applauded](https://time.com/7019804/harris-trump-debate-abortion/) the Supreme Court decision that eliminated the constitutional right to abortion. Many emphasize that the results from the 2024 election indicate something Americans have already known: there is broad support for abortion rights in the country across political party lines. Nearly two-thirds of Americans say that abortion should be legal in all or most situations, according to 2024 data from the [Pew Research Center](https://www.pewresearch.org/religion/fact-sheet/public-opinion-on-abortion/). But for some voters, it’s a question of priorities. “When you give voters a chance to vote directly on the issue, you see a track with the overwhelming support there is for reproductive rights across the country,” Schifeling says. “However, candidate races are never just about one thing, and that was certainly true this year.” Issues like the [economy and immigration have emerged](https://apnews.com/projects/election-results-2024/) as two of the top concerns on voters’ minds this election cycle, followed by abortion. Rachel Janfaza, a youth political analyst who has held listening sessions with young people in various states since 2022, says that she spoke to some young men in Arizona who were undecided voters that supported the right to abortion, but also prioritized issues like the cost of living. “I do think many of these young men are pro-choice and believe it’s up to a woman what she does with her own body,” Janfaza says. “I do think that for them, it was not as motivating of an issue in their vote calculus as was the economy or immigration.” Samara Klar, a political science professor at the University of Arizona, says that Arizona is a “unique state in the variation it expresses ideologically in elections.” Trump won Arizona, but in the state’s race for the U.S. Senate, Democratic candidate Ruben Gallego is [currently leading](https://apnews.com/article/arizona-senate-election-ruben-gallego-kari-lake-5bd18699aeb3b5e4d761b5af54593ec7) Republican Kari Lake (the AP has [not yet called](https://apnews.com/projects/election-results-2024/arizona/?r=4021) the race). In the 2020 election, President Joe Biden [won](https://time.com/5906423/2020-election-results/) the state. “Obviously, the Democrats were hoping that abortion was going to give them more momentum, but it’s a really uphill battle in Arizona,” Klar says. At the same time, many Arizonans, including Republicans, support abortion rights. Some voters may have separated this issue from their presidential pick. “By having abortion on the ballot, it allows pro-choice Republicans to both support a Republican candidate but also support reproductive rights, so you don’t have to channel your support for reproductive rights through a presidential candidate; you can keep them as two distinct issues,” Klar says. Klar says she thinks the messaging from the Republican Party and the Trump campaign on abortion got through to some Arizona voters. While Trump has, in the past, [indicated](https://apnews.com/article/trump-abortion-ban-15-weeks-91a9e0ce87d11dff0fa761f327bd0566) [support](https://www.washingtonpost.com/powerpost/with-trumps-backing-house-approves-ban-on-abortion-after-20-weeks-of-pregnancy/2017/10/03/95c64786-a86c-11e7-b3aa-c0e2e1d41e38%5Fstory.html) for national restrictions, he attempted to soften that stance in this election cycle and [said](https://time.com/6964678/donald-trump-abortion-ban-states/) that the decision should be left up to the states. “I think that does resonate with Republicans who say, ‘Fine, we know this is going to be a state’s rights. As an Arizonan, I want abortion legal in my state, and I will vote for Trump for whatever reasons, whether it be conservative social policies, economic policies—whatever the reason might be,’ ” Klar says. Jamille Fields Allsbrook, an assistant professor of law at Saint Louis University, offered similar explanations for the results in Missouri. She says it’s possible that voters didn’t believe that Trump posed a threat to abortion access. “Donald Trump, famously [back in 2016](https://www.cnbc.com/2016/10/19/trump-ill-appoint-supreme-court-justices-to-overturn-roe-v-wade-abortion-case.html) … said that he would appoint justices on the Supreme Court to overturn _Roe,_ and that’s exactly what happened,” Fields Allsbrook says. “But for whatever reason, voters did not feel that he was ideologically really opposed to abortion. And some of that has to do with the way he’s presented himself now.” Fields Allsbrook also says that some voters may think that, because they had the ability in their state to protect abortion access through the ballot initiative, abortion rights would be protected. (Any national restrictions on abortion would supersede state constitutional protections.) Montana is a state that, in general, has been moving to the right for years, according to Sara Rushing, a political science professor at Montana State University Bozeman. Many people from states like California and Washington have [moved](https://www.mtpr.org/montana-news/2023-10-23/new-census-data-shows-how-many-people-moved-to-montana-last-year) to Montana over the past few years, some of whom may be more right-leaning but also value their right to abortion, which is protected in their home states, Rushing says. She adds that Montana’s ballot measure didn’t change existing laws as similar initiatives did in other states, since the Montana Supreme Court had [ruled](https://idahocapitalsun.com/2024/08/22/constitutional-protection-for-abortion-to-be-on-november-ballot-in-montana/) in 1999 that the state constitution protected the right to abortion, so people may have been more inclined to vote for it. Rushing echoed some of the possible explanations that other experts proposed—that Trump walking back his previous comments on abortion and insisting that the issue should be left up to the states resonated with Montana voters. “I think he’s talking out of both sides of his mouth, which leaves people able to sort of quote what they want from him,” Rushing says of Trump’s stance on abortion. And she says having the issue on the ballot can allow voters to separate abortion from Trump as a candidate: “You can kind of have your cake and eat it too.” ## Transcript I When that 12 week ultrasound came up, we went in and we were given really grave news about our baby. And we were told that our baby wasn't going to survive the pregnancy and that the longer I stayed pregnant, the sicker I could become. And Um, and, you know, that was putting my life and my health at risk. And, you know, we already had a toddler to consider. When we were given basically given a sheet of clinics in nearby states that we could try to call, the sheet was outdated because of all the different changes that were happening. Um, in other states as well as in Idaho, but after spending a couple of days calling clinics and being put on at several places, weeks long waiting list, other places, we were not able to. You know, we were too far along at 20 weeks. And some of the clinics that we called had actually closed down, so it just felt like this really defeating battle that we were up against. But we did have a last minute cancellation, thankfully, for a clinic in Seattle that was able to get us in. I knew I was on I knew I was on a timeline. I knew that, you know, not only you know, the longer I stayed pregnant, the more sick I could become, but I also knew that the longer I stayed pregnant, the harder it would be to access abortion care because I would be further and further along in my pregnancy. So I knew that my options would become more and more limited. And so, you know, I was calling clinics as soon as I got home from the doctors. Office. And it was incredibly challenging because I was, you know, calling abortion clinics and trying to keep myself together, trying to explain my story to them and asking, you know, do you have appointments available? And, you know, so it was really challenging to be making these phone calls while still processing the fact that my baby was going to die. Nobody should have to go through their pregnancy, wondering, how am I going to flee somewhere else? Who is willing to take me and who is willing to provide medical care for me? That shouldn't be even a thought that crosses your mind when you're pregnant, you should just feel like you have confidence, you know, in the state that you live in that you can access proper medical care when needed. We always had it in the back of our minds that something could go wrong and that we would need to access care outside of the state. But even knowing that still doesn't prepare you for when it's actually happening. We're real women with real stories, and this happens to people that you know and love. You know, in addition to sharing those stories and hopefully, you know, that being a compelling reason for somebody to consider maybe their views on abortion. We are hoping to get some clarity on the ways that the laws are written and hopefully some exceptions as to when abortion is allowed in the state, especially in regard to the health of the mother or the health of the fetus. It's really thinking on the broader spectrum of being able to provide adequate health care for Idahoans when they need it within the state of Idaho, not airlifting patients out of the state, not trying to coordinate, you know, travel outside of the state, especially in a case of an emergency, but being able, giving providers and their patients the confidence to proceed with the health care that they know they need. Abortion care is healthcare and that's really the bottom line of this is that a lot of this comes down to, you know, being able to provide patients the care that they need when they need it, where they need it. And that's what's at stake here. We're hoping that, you know, this lawsuit provides better clarity so that physicians do feel comfortable and safe, being able to provide the healthcare options that they know are the most appropriate. I think the stakes are very high for women in the state, whether or not you feel like you would ever choose an abortion or you would make that choice for yourself or your family. It's likely going to affect people that you know and love, and women are becoming sick and women are dying in other states. So this is a very real risk, and this is just, I feel like, you know, just a tiny portion of what needs to change, but I'm hopeful that the case, you know, can do something positive in regard to that. ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/7174962/abortion-rights-won-states-voted-trump/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/7174962/abortion-rights-won-states-voted-trump/"},"headline":"Why Abortion Rights Won in Three States That Voted for Trump","datePublished":"2024-11-11T17:19:31.000Z","dateModified":"2026-08-04T07:50:16.059Z","description":"Experts say the results demonstrate a 'cognitive dissonance'","url":"https://time.com/7174962/abortion-rights-won-states-voted-trump/","keywords":["abortion","News Desk","2024 Elections"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt678296c0c2ce0756/698a9c259d83e89ec6ba12f4/Abortion-Ballot-Trump-Three-States.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Chantelle Lee","jobTitle":"Reporter","url":"https://time.com/author/chantelle-lee/"}],"articleSection":"Politics","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt678296c0c2ce0756/698a9c259d83e89ec6ba12f4/Abortion-Ballot-Trump-Three-States.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"US-NEWS-ELN-MO-ABORTION-LAWSUIT-KC","caption":"US-NEWS-ELN-MO-ABORTION-LAWSUIT-KC","creditText":"Dominick Williams—The Kansas City Star/Tribune News Service/Getty Images","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/politics/","name":"Politics"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"/tag/abortion/","name":"abortion"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/7174962/abortion-rights-won-states-voted-trump/","name":"Why Abortion Rights Won in Three States That Voted for Trump"}}]},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"VideoObject","name":"Idaho Court to Hear from Women Denied Abortions Amid Pregnancy Complications","description":"An Idaho court will hear arguments on Tuesday in a lawsuit over the state’s near-total ban on abortion—one of the strictest laws in the country.","thumbnailUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/v2/media/fZ9Kswi1/poster.jpg?width=720","uploadDate":"2024-11-11T21:31:49.000Z","contentUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/fZ9Kswi1.m3u8","embedUrl":"https://time.com/7174962/abortion-rights-won-states-voted-trump/","duration":"PT6M31S","potentialAction":{"@type":"SeekToAction","target":"https://time.com/7174962/abortion-rights-won-states-voted-trump/?jw_start={seek_to_second_number}","startOffset-input":"required name=seek_to_second_number"}}] ```