North Dakota residents voted to pass a ballot measure that would ban congressional candidates from running for office if they turn 81-years-old during their term.
60.88 percent of voters in the red state approved the measure, while 39.12 percent voted against it.
Titled, "Congressional Age Limits,” the new measure states that "no person may be elected or appointed to serve a term or a portion of a term representing North Dakota in the U.S. Senate or the U.S. House of Representatives if that person could be 81 years old by December 31 of the year immediately preceding the end of the term, and any such person is prohibited from appearing on the ballot."
The North Dakota Age Limit Law referendum has passed. This law limits Federal congressional candidates (House and Senate) from being considered if they turn 81 before their expected term ends. Thus, a 75-year-old could not run for Senator / a 77-year-old for the House.
— Michael Pruser (@MichaelPruser) June 12, 2024
It's… pic.twitter.com/UST4OQAFPa
The measure comes at a time when age limits have taken a contentious turn as the two 2024 candidates would be well into their 80s by the time their four-year term ends should they win.
President Joe Biden would be 86 years old by the end of his second term, while former President Donald Trump would be 81.
The approval mirrors recent opinion polls that prove most Americans want term limits for elected officials.
Biden has continually suffered mental and physical gaffes in front of the cameras. The octogenarian malfunctions almost weekly at this point, indicating he is not in the right capacity to run the country for another four years. Yet, the Democratic Party continues pushing for him to be reelected despite polls showing his age is a top concern for voters.
A recent Wall Street Journal report offered a scathing piece on Biden’s ability to take charge in front of Americans and world leaders.
Titled, “Behind Closed Doors, Biden Shows Signs of Slipping,” the article pointed out how the president struggled to negotiate a Ukraine funding deal, pausing “for extended periods and sometimes closed his eyes for so long that some in the room wondered whether he had tuned out.”
The writers also noted that Biden “spoke so softly at times that some participants struggled to hear him.”
The new term limit would not apply to presidential candidates. However, the measure is expected to face legal challenges.
In 1995, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that states “cannot impose additional restrictions, such as term limits, on its representatives in the federal government beyond those provided by the Constitution.”
The U.S. Constitution has minimum age requirements for presidents (35), senators (30), and representatives (25). However, there is no maximum age.