South Dakota voters reject constitutional amendment for abortion rights

South Dakota voters rejected a ballot measure that aimed to enshrine abortion rights in the state constitution. The decision maintains the state's near-total ban on abortion, which has been in place since the overturning of Roe v. Wade in 2022. The proposed Amendment G would have allowed abortions in the first trimester and regulated them in the second trimester. In the third trimester, it would have permitted abortions only if necessary for the woman's health or life. The campaign for the amendment faced legal challenges, including a lawsuit from an anti-abortion group questioning the validity of petition signatures. A trial related to this dispute is scheduled for January.