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South Dakota · November 3, 2026 general election · Statewide ballot measure

Constitutional Amendment J: what your vote means

Citizenship requirement to vote. On every South Dakota ballot. Official sources checked October 21, 2026.

Constitutional Amendment J · Legislatively referred constitutional amendment

Citizenship requirement to vote

Official ballot title (quoted exactly)

An Amendment to the South Dakota Constitution Clarifying that an Individual Must Be a Citizen of the United States to be Eligible to Vote.

Attorney General’s title as printed in the 2026 Ballot Question Pamphlet, South Dakota Secretary of State.

A YES vote means:

The constitution would list not being a U.S. citizen as a reason a person is disqualified from voting, alongside mental incompetence and felony conviction.

A NO vote means:

The constitution stays as it is.

What it would change

  • Who is affected: voters and election officials.
  • Current law: the constitution already includes U.S. citizenship among the qualifications to vote in state elections.
  • Effect (Attorney General): clarifies the existing requirement that only citizens may vote.
  • Fiscal impact: No official fiscal note is published in the 2026 Ballot Question Pamphlet for this legislative amendment.

Official arguments, summarized

Short neutral summaries of the arguments printed in the official voters’ pamphlet. The committees that wrote them are responsible for their content. Read the full text at the link below.

Argument for

Supporters say it makes it explicit that only U.S. citizens may vote in South Dakota.

Written by: Taffy Howard, State Senator

Argument against

Opponents say only citizens can already vote, and that combined with a 2026 law on registration challenges it could make citizens prove their citizenship.

Written by: Representative Erik Muckey

Pro and con statements on Amendment J, 2026 Ballot Question Pamphlet (PDF)

Who supports it and who opposes it

These lists come from official campaign filings (registered committees) and public endorsements, each linked to its source. They are not complete, and SaveYourState does not endorse anyone listed. Lists checked October 30, 2026.

Who supports it

Who opposes it

Official sources

SaveYourState is independent and nonpartisan, not a government site, and does not take positions on ballot measures. This explainer describes effects only, using the official ballot title, explanatory statement, full text, and fiscal impact statement. If anything here differs from those documents, the official documents control.