South Dakota voters reject constitutional amendment to protect abortion rights

South Dakota voters have rejected a proposed amendment to protect abortion rights in the state constitution. The amendment aimed to allow abortion in the first trimester but faced opposition from anti-abortion groups who deemed it "too extreme." The rejection maintains South Dakota's strict abortion laws, which only permit the procedure to save a woman's life, with no exceptions for health, rape, or incest. This law has been in place since 2005 as a trigger law. In contrast, voters in Missouri, Colorado, New York, and Maryland approved measures to protect abortion rights. South Dakota's campaign for the amendment gained late support but ultimately did not succeed.