PIERRE, S.D. (SDBA) — South Dakota lawmakers advanced one election-related bill Friday while effectively killing another.
The Senate State Affairs Committee voted 8-1 to approve Senate Bill 75. It would require the Department of Public Safety to indicate whether a person is a U.S. citizen on their driver’s license or identification card.
“This bill serves to make things easier for auditors,” said Sen. Amber Hulse, the bill’s sponsor. “Right now, when you go to register to vote and bring in a South Dakota driver’s license, there are people in our state that are non-citizens who can hold a license.”
TJ Nelson, representing Opportunity Solutions Project, supported the measure: “South Dakota should be proud we only let U.S. citizens vote in our elections. We have for a very long time. This change helps strengthen that language.”
Several county auditors testified in support of the measure, saying it would help them verify voter eligibility more efficiently. According to testimony, about 75% of voter registrations come through the Department of Motor Vehicles.
In the same session, the committee voted to send Senate Bill 73, which would have changed voter registration requirements, to the 41st legislative day. In South Dakota’s 40-day legislative sessions in the past, sending a bill to the 41st day effectively kills the legislation.
Opponents raised concerns about potential discrimination. Brayden Thuey, a Sisseton resident, noted that people use their driver’s licenses frequently for activities unrelated to voting.
Melissa McCauley with South Dakota Voices for Justice questioned the need for the change. “Without clear safeguards, it risks disproportionately targeting and excluding certain groups,” she said.
“By putting citizenship on the ID card, that is making it much easier for folks to be discriminated against based on their citizenship status,” Thuey said.
Hulse addressed these concerns during her closing remarks, noting that the information would be invaluable during same-day voter registration when citizens request provisional ballots.
“If a police officer or some other bad actor was going to discriminate against someone, they could do so on a variety of reasons, not just a label on their driver’s license card,” Hulse said. “The integrity of our elections is a very, very high cause to do something like this.”
Only SB75 now moves to the full Senate for consideration.
