South Dakota voters would have to show proof of citizenship when they register to vote under a bill the Senate passed Thursday.
Senate Bill 175 passed 28-6 on the Senate floor in Pierre. Because the bill includes an emergency clause, it required a two-thirds majority — which it received.
The vote may push South Dakota into a small but growing group of states tightening voter registration rules by requiring documentation of U.S. citizenship. Supporters argue it formalizes checks the state already performs and helps prevent noncitizens from registering; opponents warn it could create new hurdles for eligible voters and shift election disputes toward paperwork rather than ballots.
What the bill requires
The bill requires anyone registering to vote to provide documentation proving U.S. citizenship. Acceptable documents include a South Dakota driver’s license or non-driver ID issued after July 1, 2025, that shows citizenship verification; a valid driver’s license or ID from another state or territory that indicates citizenship; a tribal identification card; or a photocopy of a birth certificate, U.S. passport, consular report of birth abroad, or certificate of naturalization.
Individuals who do not provide citizenship documentation when they register may still be designated as “federal voters,” meaning they can cast ballots only in federal races — U.S. Senate, U.S. House, and presidential elections.
Sen. John Carley’s bill aligns state law with existing citizenship checks and federal legislation.
“We’re voting on the idea of we need to prove citizenship to register to vote,” the Piedmont Repoublican said. “We all voted on citizenship last year. This is just solidifying that so that we make sure we have that proof of registering.”
Carley also noted that U.S. Sen. Mike Rounds visited the Capitol earlier in the week to brief lawmakers on the federal SAVE Act. It is a proof-of-citizenship voter registration proposal that has passed the U.S. House and is pending in the Senate. U.S. Sen. John Thune is also working on the legislation, Carley said.
Mailbox address dispute
Sen. Randy Deibert, R-Spearfish, voted against the bill. He said a provision in Section 2 of SB 175 unfairly affects South Dakotans who use commercial mailbox services as their address. That includes retirees who travel full-time in RVs.
“It disenfranchises all voters and general local elections that have a mailbox rather than a house,” he said.
Deibert described a brother who is a Vietnam veteran and lifelong South Dakotan. He and his wife, use a commercial mailbox while traveling full-time in an RV. Under the existing mailbox provision in the bill, Deibert said his brother would lose the ability to vote in local elections.
Carley responded, saying the bill does not change the existing “PMB registered voter” status established last year. He said it applies only to new voter registrations — not to people already registered who receive federal-only ballots.
The bill now moves to the House for consideration. Carley said the bill is intended to be in effect for the upcoming primary election.
