AP Race Call: South Dakota voters reject constitutional amendment enshrining abortion rights

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WASHINGTON (AP) — South Dakota voters rejected a proposal to add protections for abortion rights to the state constitution. The outcome preserves a state law that makes it a felony to perform an abortion except to save the life of the mother. The ban took effect when the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022 and allowed states to outlaw abortion. The ballot initiative rejected by voters would have amended the South Dakota Constitution to bar restrictions on terminating a pregnancy during its first 12 weeks. The Associated Press declared that the amendment was rejected at 2:49 a.m. EST.