OAN Staff Addie Davis
12:22 PM – Thursday, November 5, 2026
Voters in the Gem State turned out to the polls not only to cast ballots for candidates, but also to decide on important ballot measures, including choosing the official state gun,
making English the state language, and rejecting an abortion measure.
Residents selected the Winchester Model 1873 as Idaho's official state gun in Tuesday's election. The "Gun that Won the West" garnered 31.10% of the vote, representing 164,383 votes, according to VoteIdaho.gov, an official website of the Idaho secretary of state.
"In observing the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence of the United States, it is appropriate to commemorate the role played by firearms in America's and Idaho's histories," stated the text of the bill that provided for the advisory question on the ballot.
According to the secretary of state's voter pamphlet, the measure is "non-binding" and the state legislature "would have to take action during a future legislative session to officially designate a gun as the Idaho State Gun."
Also on the ballot for Idahoans was a constitutional amendment to make English the official state language.
"Shall Article X of the Constitution of the State of Idaho be amended by the addition of a new Section 8, to provide that the English language shall be the official language for the State of Idaho, and to further provide that, except as required by federal law, English shall be used in all public proceedings, public documents, public instruction, and any other public acts of any public institution in the State of Idaho?" the question on the ballot stated, according to the voter pamphlet.
The measure passed by a wide margin, garnering 447,661 votes, representing 63.17% of the total vote, per VoteIdaho.
However, the Gem State residents rejected a proposition that would legalize abortion up to the viability of the baby, and post-viability in cases of "medical emergency."
"Measure creating right to abortion before fetus viability, and post-viability to protect health; right to privacy;
healthcare provider liability protections," the short ballot title read, per the voter pamphlet."The measure seeks to change Idaho's laws by introducing a right to reproductive freedom and privacy including a right to abortion up to the point of the fetus's ability to survive outside the womb," the long ballot title stated.
"After fetal viability, there would be no general right to abortion except in cases of 'medical emergency,'" the text continued.
Per the pamphlet, Idaho's current law "preserves the life of preborn children by prohibiting abortion, except when necessary to prevent the death of the pregnant woman, and during the first trimester in documented cases of rape or incest reported to law enforcement."
The measure would have expanded the exceptions by allowing abortions in cases of medical emergencies, including when a pregnant woman faces physical complications that threaten her life or health, such as a "serious impairment to a bodily function" or "serious dysfunction of any bodily organ or part."
"The proposed measure codifies a right to make reproductive decisions, including contraception, fertility treatment, and prenatal and postpartum care. This includes a 'right of privacy' in making these decisions," the text continued.
Idahoans rejected the proposition by a roughly 11% margin, with the "NO" votes totaling 404,816 and the "YES" votes 318,795, according to VoteIdaho.
The state's residents also voted against a constitutional amendment that would have given exclusive authority to the state legislature to legalize marijuana, narcotics, or other psychoactive substances as opposed to going through the current initiative process, per the voter pamphlet.
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