South Dakota Amendment J
South Dakota constitutional amendment, referred by the Legislature, barring non-citizens from voting in any election.
Last refreshed: 5 November 2026 · Appears in 1 active topic
Why did South Dakota add a citizens-only clause to its constitution?
Timeline for South Dakota Amendment J
Mentioned in: Voters back citizen-only voting in 5 states
US Midterms 2026Background
South Dakota voters approved Amendment J on 3 November 2026. The Associated Press called it at 12:05am on 4 November with about 62% in favour and 38% against, on roughly 72% of votes counted, South Dakota Searchlight reported.
The Legislature referred the amendment, sponsored by state Senator Taffy Howard, a Republican. It adds language to the constitution disqualifying non-citizens from voting in any election or on any question put to voters. Supporters called it a fix for a loophole; opponents said state law already bars non-citizens from voting.
It was one of five citizen-only voting measures approved on 3 November. The wider citizenship push includes the SAVE America Act, which Donald Trump made a condition of signing other legislation in June.
Did South Dakota Amendment J pass?
What does South Dakota Amendment J do?
Could non-citizens vote in South Dakota before Amendment J?
Written with AI from Lowdown's published reporting. Not individually reviewed by an editor. Updated 5 November 2026. Editorial standards.