SB 218 South Dakota Senate · 2025 Regular Session

revise provisions associated with residency for voting purposes.

South Dakota Senate Bill 218 aims to update the rules for how long a person must live in the state before being eligible to vote. The bill modifies residency requirements that currently determine voter qualification, directly affecting all registered voters and those seeking to register. Specific changes to the time-based residency standards will be outlined in the revised provisions, though the exact duration adjustments are not detailed in the available text. This legislation seeks to clarify or adjust the connection between physical presence in South Dakota and the right to participate in elections.
Bill status passed 3 of 5 stages cleared
Introduction
Feb 2025
Committee Review
Feb 2025
Senate Passage
Feb 2025
House Passage
Governor
Introduced Feb 5, 2025 Last action Feb 18, 2025
Maddy AI version diff · 1 comparison

What changed between versions

Introduced Senate State Affairs Engrossed · 6 edits · Feb 12, 2025
MODERATE
This bill revises South Dakota's voting residency laws to clarify how residence is defined and enforced, introduces a new category of 'national voter' for those using only PO boxes or mail services without a physical address, and updates ballot counting procedures for these voters.
Scope change
The bill expands the definition of residency requirements and creates a new voting category for individuals without traditional physical addresses, while maintaining existing voting rights for those who meet standard residency criteria.
DEFINITION

Redefined 'residence' to require an actual fixed permanent dwelling with 30 consecutive days, emphasizing physical habitation over mere mailing addresses.

ELIGIBILITY

Updated voter registration requirements to explicitly require individuals to be actual residents of South Dakota rather than just maintaining a mailing address.

Created a new 'national voter' category for individuals who register using only commercial mail receiving agencies or PO boxes without providing a physical habitation address.

REQUIREMENT

Added restrictions that national voters can only vote for federal offices (president, senators, representatives) rather than state or local positions.

Required county auditors to mark national voter ballots separately and prepare ballots listing only federal candidates for these voters.

ENFORCEMENT

Modified ballot challenge procedures to include residency verification as a ground for challenging a voter's eligibility.

Floor votes · Senate Feb 18, 2025

How they voted

350
Passed
Total votes 35
Feb 18, 2025
D Democratic3
3 Yea
100% Yea
R Republican32
32 Yea
100% Yea
Vote distribution
All Yea All Nay Mixed No data
Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions
6
Key actions
2
Committee
2
Amendments
1
Feb 18, 2025
Upper · Passed
Senate Tabled , Passed, YEAS 35, NAYS 0 S.J. 284
upper
Feb 12, 2025
Upper · Passed
State Affairs Do Pass Amended , Passed, YEAS 5, NAYS 3
upper
Feb 12, 2025
Introduced
State Affairs Motion to amend , Passed, Amendment 218B
upper
Feb 6, 2025
Committee
Referred to S.J. 195
upper
1 primary · 0 co-sponsors

Sponsors

Role
Legislator
Party
State
District
P
Photo of John Carley
John Carley
RRepublican
SD
29