SB 175 South Dakota Senate · 2026 Regular Session

require that an individual provide proof of citizenship when registering to vote and to declare an emergency.

This bill requires individuals registering to vote in South Dakota to provide proof of U.S. citizenship as part of their voter registration process. It directly affects all current and prospective voters by mandating the submission of specific documents such as a state-issued ID with citizenship verification, a birth certificate, passport, or naturalization certificate. The legislation also establishes a "federal voter" designation for people who use only P.O. box addresses without a physical residence description, limiting their ballot access to federal elections only. Additionally, the bill sets a July 1, 2026 deadline for existing voters to re-submit citizenship documentation when changing counties within the state.
Bill status signed all 5 stages cleared
Introduction
Jan 2026
Committee Review
Mar 2026
Senate Passage
Feb 2026
House Passage
Mar 2026
Signed into Law
Mar 2026
Introduced Jan 29, 2026 Signed Mar 30, 2026
Maddy AI version diff · 3 comparisons

What changed between versions

Senate Engrossed Enrolled · 6 edits · Mar 5, 2026
MODERATE
This bill requires voters to provide proof of U.S. citizenship when registering to vote. It adds new requirements for acceptable documents, designates certain voters as 'federal voters' with limited ballot access, and repeals previous voter registration sections.
Scope change
The bill expands voter registration requirements to mandate citizenship documentation, previously not explicitly required in the same manner, and creates a new category of 'federal voters' with restricted ballot options.
REQUIREMENT

Added mandatory citizenship documentation requirement for all voter registration applications, specifying acceptable documents like driver licenses issued after July 1, 2025, birth certificates, passports, or naturalization certificates.

Repealed two existing voter registration sections (12-3-1 and 12-3-1.1) that are no longer needed under the new citizenship documentation requirements.

ELIGIBILITY

Created new 'federal voter' designation for individuals using only PO Box addresses or without citizenship documentation, limiting their ballots to only federal offices (president, senator, representative).

Amended voter registration criteria to explicitly require proof of U.S. citizenship as a condition for registering to vote.

ENFORCEMENT

Added requirement for county auditors to verify naturalization certificate numbers with U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service.

TIMELINE

Set implementation timeline requiring driver licenses to indicate citizenship documentation after July 1, 2025, with reference to federal regulations effective January 1, 2026.

Floor votes · Senate Feb 19, 2026 · House Mar 4, 2026

How they voted

286
Passed · 1 other
Total votes 35
Feb 19, 2026
D Democratic3
3 Nay
100% Nay
R Republican32
28 Yea 3 Nay 1
87% Yea
Vote distribution
All Yea All Nay Mixed No data
Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions
18
Key actions
11
Committee
5
Amendments
2
Mar 30, 2026
Signed into law
Signed by the Governor on 2026-03-30 S.J. 550
executive
Mar 9, 2026
Lower · Passed
Signed by the Speaker H.J. 543
lower
Mar 5, 2026
Lower · Passed
Signed by the President S.J. 485
lower
Mar 4, 2026
Lower · Passed
House of Representatives Do Pass Amended , Passed, YEAS 64, NAYS 3 H.J. 513
lower
Mar 4, 2026
House · Passed
House Vote: pass (64-3-3)
house
Mar 2, 2026
Lower · Passed
State Affairs Do Pass , Passed, YEAS 11, NAYS 1
lower
Feb 20, 2026
Introduced
First read in House and referred to House State Affairs H.J. 387
lower
Feb 19, 2026
Upper · Passed
Senate Do Pass Amended , Passed, YEAS 28, NAYS 6 S.J. 315
upper
Feb 19, 2026
Introduced
Senate Motion to amend , Passed, S.J. 315 Amendment 175D
upper
Feb 19, 2026
Upper · Passed
Placed on calendar pursuant to JR 6F-6 , Passed, YEAS 28, NAYS 6 S.J. 310
upper
Feb 17, 2026
Upper · Passed
State Affairs Report out of committee without recommendation as amended , Passed,
upper
Feb 17, 2026
Upper · Passed
Recalled from committee (Rule 7-7) , Passed, S.J. 269
upper
Feb 11, 2026
Upper · Passed
State Affairs Deferred to the 41st legislative day , Passed, YEAS 5, NAYS 3 S.J. 23
upper
Feb 11, 2026
Introduced
State Affairs Motion to amend , Passed, S.J. 23 Amendment 175C
upper
Jan 29, 2026
Introduced
First read in Senate and referred to Senate State Affairs S.J. 141
upper
8 primary · 0 co-sponsors

Sponsors