Open primaries, abortion fail on South Dakota ballot

The Associated Press has called voting on a pair of amendments to the South Dakota Constitution.

On Amendment, G, which would have established a right to abortion in the state, voters said "no" at a 60% clip, compared to 40% for the "yes" side, according to unofficial results from the South Dakota Secretary of State's Office.

And on Amendment H, which would have created open election primaries, 66% of voters said "no," to 34% for "yes."

Initiated Measure 28, which would have abolished sales tax on any item sold for human consumption — proponents said it would remove the state's sales tax on groceries, while opponents said the language was vague enough to extend beyond that scope — failed on 70%-30% vote.

The fate of other ballot questions haven't been called yet, but some are all but determined.

With 84% of the vote in statewide, Amendment E, which would've updated gender references in the state Constitution, is failing to pass on a 59%-41% vote.

Referred Law 21, which would create new statutory requirements for regulating linear transmission facilities, is failing on a 60%-40% vote. Proponents said the law would protect landowners, while opponents said the law was crafted for companies, including the Dakota Access pipeline.

Initiated Measure 29, which would legalize recreational marijuana — while keeping a prohibition on sales — is failing 57%-43%.

The closest ballot question race is Amendment F, which would implement a work requirement for "able" individuals eligible for expanded Medicaid benefits is passing 56%-44%. If passed, federal rules would need to change for implementation to go forward. With the presidential election win of Republican Donald Trump, that appears more likely to happen.

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Executive Editor