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60% Vote Requirement for Constitutional Amendments Measure | ||||
| Elections in South Dakota | ||
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South Dakota Amendment L, officially the60% Vote Requirement for Constitutional Amendments Measure, is anlegislatively referredconstitutional amendment that will appear on the ballot in theU.S. state ofSouth Dakota on November 3, 2026, concurrent with the2026 United States elections.
| House vote on HJR 5003 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Jan 22, 2025 | Party | Total votes | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Republican | Democratic | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Yea | 60 | 1 | 61 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Nay | 0 | 5 | 5 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| No vote | 3 | 0 | 3 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Result:Passed | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Roll call vote[1]
All other votes are Republicanyeas. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Senate vote on HJR 5003 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Mar 10, 2025 | Party | Total votes | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Republican | Democratic | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Yea | 29 | 0 | 29 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Nay | 2 | 2 | 4 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| No vote | 1 | 1 | 2 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Result:Passed | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Roll call vote[2]
All other votes are Republicanyeas. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Currently in South Dakota, constitutional amendments can be placed on the ballot by theSouth Dakota Legislature. Voters can approve or reject amendments if the amendment reaches 50% of votes cast. Amendment L was first placed on the ballot after it was approved by the legislature in early 2025.[3]
If approved by voters, the threshold that amendments must reach to be approved would be raised from 50% to 60%.[4]
The Voter Defense Association of South Dakota launched a campaign against the amendment in May 2025. The president of the organization argued that raising the threshold would weaken the ballot initiative process.[5]