New South Dakota Law Requires Proof Of Citizenship For Voters

New voter registration laws are on the way for South Dakotans.

Governor Larry Rhoden signed six election-related bills Thursday (March 26), including one that requires newly registered voters to prove their citizenship.

The South Dakota SAVE Act is intended to protect the integrity of the state's elections, while the other laws affect campaign finance disclosures, publication of election results, processing of absentee ballots, publication of statewide voter registration files, and the submission of nomination petitions.

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All six bills that Rhoden signed were named emergencies, which allows them to go into effect immediately, as opposed to July 1, when laws in South Dakota usually go into effect.

This will allow for the requirements to apply to the state's June 2 primary elections, registration for which has a May 18 deadline.

The governor's office said the state's SAVE Act applies only to state elections and only to people who are registering to vote in South Dakota for the first time, and will need to show a passport, birth certificate, or other document that proves they are a U.S. citizen.

South Dakota residents who are already registered do not need to take any action, and those who need to update their name, address or other information are not required to prove their U.S. citizenship.

That law will not take effect before the primary, but it will be effective during the general election in November.

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