Abortion Rights Win Big in South Dakota

South Dakotans rejected their state's total abortion ban, which was put to the voters as a ballot referendum after the SD legislature passed the ban last winter.

With 59% of the precincts reporting, opponents of the ban had 55%, or 98,182 votes, to the supporters' 45%, or 79,444 votes.

Jan Nicolay, leader of the group seeking to reject the measure, said the returns indicate that voters understood that the proposed law was too extreme because it did not include exceptions for rape, incest or the health of a pregnant woman.

Lance Weber, 49, of Sturgis said he does not like abortion but voted against the measure because it would not allow abortions for rape and incest.

"I still feel like there is a gray area in that particular matter, and I feel there needs to be some exceptions," Weber told the Associated Press.