第八巡回法院批准全体法官重审 南达科他州选票联署截止期限诉讼
据南达科他州公共广播（SDPB）10月2日报道，联邦第八巡回上诉法院批准对"达科他人为健康"组织（Dakotans for Health）诉南达科他州选票联署截止期限一案进行全体法官重审。
该组织主张，南达科他州对公民提案联署设定的提交截止期限过于严苛，限制了选民直接立法的权利。此前的一个三人合议庭曾作出裁决，如今全体法官将重新审理此案。
全体法官重审在联邦上诉法院中较为罕见，通常意味着案件涉及重大法律问题。Dakotans for Health 曾多次推动在南达科他州就堕胎权等议题举行全民公投，联署截止期限直接关系到这类公民提案能否赶上选举日程。
重审的具体开庭日期尚未公布。裁决结果将影响南达科他州未来选举周期的提案联署规则，也可能为其他州的类似诉讼提供判例参考。
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.
图片来源：United States District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri, Public domain (Wikimedia Commons)
