South Dakota activists fight abortion ban

Pro-choice campaigners in South Dakota are set to file a petition next week, in a bid to force a referendum on the state’s ban on abortion, the New York Times reports.

If enough signatures are collected, the ban – which was to have gone into effect on 1 July – will be put on hold until it can be shot down – or upheld – at the upcoming election in November. The activists need 16,000 signatures to win the reprieve, but are expecting to collect twice as many.

If the ban is implemented, women will only be able to access abortion if their lives are in danger – not if they have been raped or in cases of incest. South Dakota has only one abortion provider.