Idaho Supreme Court: State has 24 hours to rewrite ‘unclear’ abortion ballot info

The Idaho Supreme Court has ordered state officials to rewrite “unclear” language concerning a reproductive healthcare ballot initiative that will appear in front of voters in November. The rewrite is due just a day after the justices issued their expedited decision , as election deadlines approach. The justices filed the unanimous decision Friday afternoon. The judgment, written by Justice Gregory Moeller, sided with Idahoans United for Women and Families, the nonprofit behind Proposition 1, or the Reproductive Freedom and Privacy Act. Idahoans United claimed in a lawsuit filed last week that Secretary of State Phil McGrane and Attorney General Raúl Labrador’s offices used “confusing, biased” language for the options voters would see on their ballots when deciding to vote “yes” or “no” on the proposition.

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Scoop News DeskIdaho · Published Friday, September 4, 2026 at 11:33 PM UTCUpdated Sunday, September 6, 2026 at 3:19 AM UTC

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The court’s summary said the “yes” statement left out core parts of the initiative, and the “no” statement wrongly described Idaho’s existing abortion laws. Melanie Folwell, executive director of Idahoans United, told the Idaho Statesman the decision is a win for Idaho voters. “The Idaho Supreme Court unanimously agreed that both the Yes and No statements for Prop One were unlawful,” she said. “Idaho voters deserve ballot language that tells them the truth, and I’m proud that we fought this battle.” The justices set a deadline for new ballot language to be submitted by 5 p.m.

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