North Dakota voters reportedly approved a ballot measure Tuesday that caps that would set an age limit of for congressional candidates.
The ballot measure would block any person set to turn 81 years old during their term from running or serving in the U.S. House of Representatives or the U.S. Senate, according to The Associated Press (AP).
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.
It’s… pic.twitter.com/UST4OQAFPa
— Michael Pruser (@MichaelPruser) June 12, 2024
Approximately 60.9% of constituents voted “Yes” on the age limit initiative with more than 95% of the vote in, The New York Times (NYT) reported. There were 39.1% reported votes against the ballot measure, according to the outlet.
This comes as the age of candidates is an issue at the forefront of the 2024 election. President Joe Biden is currently 81 years old as he runs for his second term in office. The Democratic president has sparked concerns that he is not mentally fit to run the country, especially after special counsel Robert Hur described Biden as unfit for trial before a jury because he presented himself as an “well-meaning, elderly man with a poor memory.”
Biden sparked concerns Monday when he appeared to freeze during an early Juneteenth celebration. One video shows Biden standing in place with a blank stare as those around him clapped and moved with the music being played at the event. Other footage shows the president in an apparent struggle to clap to the beat of a song as those around him had no trouble.
– Man in a dress front and center at Biden’s Juneteenth celebration.
– Biden looking lost, staring into space like a zombie.
Looks about right for the Biden admin. pic.twitter.com/efN2hbyUcv
— Libs of TikTok (@libsoftiktok) June 11, 2024
Scary. Why can’t Joe Biden clap with everyone else like a normal person? pic.twitter.com/BVneyNICdq
— Steve Guest (@SteveGuest) June 11, 2024
Recently, more than 45 aides and both Republican and Democratic lawmakers told The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) that Biden shows indications of apparent decline, including soft speech, reliance on cards and deference to aides during conferences. Biden has also slipped multiple times, such as his infamous fall on the steps up Air Force One in March 2021 and when he fell over a sandbag on stage at a U.S. Air Force Academy graduation in June 2023.
North Dakota’s new term limit does not apply to presidential candidates. However, the ballot measure could be challenged in court, according to Axios. In 1995, the U.S. Supreme Court reportedly ruled that states “cannot impose additional restrictions, such as term limits, on its representatives in the federal government beyond those provided by the Constitution.”
