On Tuesday, voters in North Dakota unanimously approved a measure that will exclude candidates who will be 81 years of age or older by the end of the year before their term expires from the ballot.
“Yes” maintained a margin of over 20 points with 87% of the vote counted.
The New York Times reported that experts anticipate that North Dakota will be the first state to implement such a requirement, which is expected to be challenged in court.
Given that President Joe Biden, who is 81 years old, is seeking a second term, the ages of politicians have become a significant concern. In the next three days, Donald Trump, his opponent, will reach the age of 78.
The North Dakota ballot measure does not apply to the current members of Congress, all of whom are Republicans.
Rep. Kelly Armstrong is 47 years old, while Sens. Kevin Kramer and John Hoeven are 63 and 67 years old, respectively.
The new law is likely to be in conflict with a 1995 U.S. Supreme Court ruling that invalidated congressional term limits that 23 states had implemented.
The court in U.S. Term Limits, Inc. v. Thornton ruled that states are prohibited from imposing qualifications for members of Congress that are more stringent than those enumerated in the Constitution. The decision was 6-3.
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