Abortion-rights ballot measure supporters across the country have raised nearly eight times as much as groups campaigning against the amendments on the November ballots. So far, campaign finance data compiled by the watchdog group Open Secrets and analyzed by the AP tells a similar story in most of those states: Amendment backers have raised multiple times as much money and have far more donors, bringing in nearly $108 million compared to $14 million for their opponents as of reports aggregated by Tuesday. That doesn't make it a sure thing that more will be spent to promote the measures in every state in the final weeks before the Nov. 5 elections.
The measures would roll back restrictions in some states and enshrine protections in the constitutions of others after the Supreme Court's 2022 ruling overturning Roe v. Wade. Most GOP-controlled states implemented bans or restrictions after the ruling. Most Democratic-controlled ones offered some protections for abortion access. The ballot measures could also drive voter turnout in the elections. The money goes to ads—and elsewhere. Campaigns that raise more money have an edge reaching voters with ads on TV, radio, and websites, along with mailers and yard signs and more organizing power for door-knocking and other efforts. That's evident so far in Missouri and Montana, where big funding advantages have translated into far more ad buys, according to data collected by the media tracking firm AdImpact.
In Missouri, the Open Secrets data shows abortion rights groups have raised more than $5 million, and state filings reflect millions more in contributions, including $1 million from former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg. The giving has fueled over $11 million in ad spending supporting a measure that would overturn the state's ban compared with less than $50,000 opposing it, per the AP. In Montana, pro-amendment groups lead in ad spending, with more than $11 million compared to under $50,000 for opponents. There hasn't been as much ad activity so far in Arizona, Colorado, Maryland, Nevada, or South Dakota. In Nebraska, abortion opponents have raised slightly less money but have spent slightly more on ad buys.
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