South Dakota Governor Signs Bill Requiring Citizenship Proof to Vote

Source: NYT

New voters in South Dakota will have to prove that they are United States citizens in order to cast a ballot in state and local races under a bill signed on Thursday by Gov. Larry Rhoden.

The new law, which does not apply to South Dakotans already on the voter rolls, comes amid a national push by Republicans to tighten voting rules and root out voting by noncitizens, which is already illegal and believed to be rare.

“This bill ensures only citizens vote in state elections, keeping our elections safe and secure,” said Mr. Rhoden, who is seeking election to a full term this year and is facing a crowded Republican primary field. He replaced Kristi Noem, who left the governor’s office last year to become homeland security secretary under President Trump.

South Dakota is one of a handful of Republican-led states to advance its own proof of citizenship measures this year as President Trump pushes Congress to pass the SAVE America Act. The federal legislation — which would establish strict new national requirements on voter registration, voter identification and mail-in balloting — has stalled in the Senate because of Democratic opposition.

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Read more: https://www.nytimes.com/2026/03/26/us/south-dakota-voting-proof-of-citizenship.html