Abortion is on the ballot in many parts of the United States next month. But only in Nebraska must voters decipher two contradictory propositions, amid bitter claims of trickery and deception by both sides.
The Midwestern state currently bans abortion after 12 weeks, and voters on November 5 will be asked if they want to enshrine that law in their constitution. But they will also be asked whether to guarantee a right to abortion until fetal viability, which is around 22 to 24 weeks.
The two laws obviously cannot coexist. So in the event that both are approved, the initiative that receives the most “for” votes would become law.
“It’s confusing,” said Jean Hanson, a 63-year-old accountant living in Omaha.
“I think a lot of people will either vote for both of them, which defeats the purpose, or they’ll end up voting for the wrong one.”
Backers of each initiative collected over 200,000 signatures to get onto the ballot. Dozens of Nebraskans told local media that they were tricked into signing the wrong petition.