[JURIST] South Dakota voters Tuesday rejected a controversial law banning most abortions [HB 1215 text, PDF] passed by the state legislature [JURIST report] earlier this year. With 818 out of 818 precincts reporting Wednesday, the final unofficial results for Referred Law 6 [Vote Smart backgrounder] were:

NO 185948 56%
YES 148666 44%

The abortion ban, seen as a direct challenge to the US Supreme Court’s abortion precedents, was placed on the South Dakota ballot [JURIST report] after an advocacy group gathered more than 37,000 signatures on a petition to force a referendum [text]. The US Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit had already upheld a preliminary injunction against the law’s enforcement [JURIST report] pending a lawsuit. The Argus Leader has local coverage.

Elsewhere on election day, voters in California and Oregon rejected measures that would have required parent or guardian notification before an unemancipated minor receives an abortion, except in an emergency. Under both measures, minors could have asked a judge to waive the notification requirement. In Oregon, 54% of voters voted no [Oregon returns] on State Ballot Measure No. 43 [text; Vote Smart backgrounder]. The Oregonian has local coverage. In California, 54% of voters rejected [California returns; No On 85 advocacy website] Proposition 85 [text, PDF; Vote Smart backgrounder]. The San Francisco Chronicle has local coverage.