Eighth Circuit Grants En Banc Rehearing in South Dakota Ballot Petition Deadline Case
The Eighth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on October 2 granted en banc rehearing in Dakotans for Health's lawsuit challenging South Dakota's ballot-petition submission deadline, South Dakota Public Broadcasting reported.
The group argues the state's cutoff for citizen-initiative petitions is unduly restrictive, curbing voters' direct-legislation rights. A three-judge panel had ruled earlier; now the full court will rehear the case.
En banc rehearings are rare in federal appeals courts and typically signal major legal questions. Dakotans for Health has repeatedly pushed ballot measures in South Dakota on issues including abortion rights, and the petition deadline directly affects whether such citizen initiatives can make the election calendar.
No hearing date has been set. The outcome will shape petition rules for future South Dakota election cycles and could offer precedent for similar lawsuits in other states.
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Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: United States District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri, Public domain (Wikimedia Commons)
