Abortion-rights groups spend big on ballot measures

• "It takes a lot of effort to make sure that voters know that the issue of abortion is on the ballot — and not just metaphorically," Kelly Hall, the executive director of the Fairness Project, told Axios.
• "It's not just on the ballot in terms of 'Kamala Harris and Donald Trump will do different things for abortion.' It's a literal question on their ballot, and they need to make sure they vote all the way down to the bottom."

State of play: Abortion-rights groups have spent more than $161 million, compared to $24 million from anti-abortion groups, according to an Associated Press analysis.

• Spending has been highest in Florida, where voters will decide whether to return to the standard the state had in place before the Supreme Court struck down Roe v. Wade. The measure needs a 60% supermajority to pass.
• Spending on abortion-related ballot measures outpaced spending on measures related to all other issues, per OpenSecrets.

Between the lines: Abortion-rights groups had to spend millions just to get these measures on the ballot in the first place — one of the main reasons their spending is so much higher than their opponents'.

The other side: Anti-abortion groups have outspent abortion-rights groups in two states — South Dakota and Nebraska, per the AP.

• Nebraska voters have two conflicting abortion measures on the ballot. The more restrictive one has gotten more attention from advocacy groups.

Zoom out: Americans have voted for abortion rights every time they've been on the ballot since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade.

• Vice President Harris last month told CBS News' Norah O'Donnell that her "first priority" in office would be to restore the protections of Roe v. Wade. Her campaign began with a heavy focus on freedom and reproductive rights, but more recently has emphasized saving democracy.

Yes, but: Abortion access campaigns like the Fairness Project are working to appeal to voters who may be disillusioned with both of the presidential candidates, urging them to just vote on the ballot question if that's their preference.

• "The ballot measure campaigns, whether it's in a swing state like Arizona or a traditionally red state like Missouri, have been running fully non-partisan efforts to make sure that they have the biggest possible tent for all voters who agree that abortion should be accessible in this country to vote yes," she said.

Go deeper: Voters in 25 U.S. states can't back abortion in citizen-led ballot measures