More than 200,000 sign dueling Nebraska abortion petitions, likely setting up November battle

LINCOLN, Neb. (KLKN) — Nebraskans are likely to vote on abortion in November after two petitions on opposite sides of the issue turned in far more signatures than required.

Four petitions on this issue were circulating in the state, but only two appear to be moving forward.

Wednesday was the deadline for organizers to submit signatures.

In Nebraska, abortion is banned after 12 weeks, with exceptions for sexual assault, incest and medical emergency.

The Protect Our Rights initiative turned in more than 207,000 signatures.

It looks to repeal the current ban and provide a right to abortion under the state constitution.

The group said it wants to reestablish the protections that Nebraskans had before Roe v. Wade was overturned.

“This overwhelming response from Nebraskans sends a clear message,” said Dr. Elizabeth Constance, an OB-GYN with Nebraska Medicine. “Health care decisions should be made by individuals and doctors, not by politicians.”

On the other side, the Protect Women and Children initiative submitted more than 205,000 signatures.

It seeks to put the state’s current abortion restrictions in the constitution.

“I have been doing pro-life work for 35 years, and I had never seen such enthusiasm and such resolve by those in Nebraska to protect women and children,” said Sandy Danek with Nebraska Right to Life.

Election officials will now review all the signatures and make sure they are valid. That process will take several weeks, according to the Nebraska Secretary of State’s Office.

If both petitions move forward and appear on the ballot, it’s possible that voters could approve both.

In that case, the secretary of state said the one with the most votes will prevail.