North Dakota Tuesday approved a ballot measure mandating a maximum age to represent the state in federal Congress. With 374 out of 385 precincts reporting, around 61% of voters were in favor of the proposal and 39% were against.
The bill, which is anticipated to encounter tough legal obstacles before it becomes effective, will forbid anybody from being chosen or nominated to represent the northern U.S. state in the Senate or the House if they would become 81 years old by the end of the year before their tenure ends.
According to the sponsoring committee’s head, Jared Hendrix, age restrictions are required to guarantee that the congressional delegates from North Dakota are fit for their positions and capable of serving the people.
The Constitution does not include an upper age restriction; rather, it establishes minimum age criteria for members of Congress: 25 years old for the House of Representatives and 30 years old for the Senate. The initiative, however, contrasts to a 1995 Supreme Court decision holding that states are not allowed to put further restrictions on candidates for Congress, such as term limits.
Candidates for president would not be impacted by the law. However, the legislation’s passing coincides with debates over whether there should be an age restriction or how old is too elderly to hold public office. President Biden, 81, and former President Trump, 77, the two main parties’ presumed choices for president, are the two oldest presidential contenders in American history.
