Amendment H: Are South Dakota Voters Ready to Upend a Partisan Monopoly?

I voted sticker
Photo by Mockup Free on Unsplash
Published: 26 Sep, 2024
3 min read

South Dakota voters have a choice in the 2024 election:

They can keep an election system that is solely controlled by a single political party, or they can reform primary elections that allow voters to equally choose any candidate they prefer, regardless of party, under Amendment H. 

Amendment H replaces the current closed taxpayer-funded partisan primary system in South Dakota, with a nonpartisan Top Two primary that allows all voters and candidates to participate on a single primary ballot.

Joe Kirby of South Dakota Open Primaries, the group spearheading the proposal, explains:

"Here is how it works: all candidates for an office are listed on a single ballot. All voters get that ballot. The top two vote getters move on to the general election. Most importantly, all voters get to vote." 

He added that this would include "153,000 independent South Dakota voters who currently have little voice in selecting the people who lead our state." The top two vote-getters in each primary race then move on to the general election.

It cannot be disputed that South Dakota is a one-party state. Both US Senate seats are held by Republicans, as is the state's single congressional seat. The GOP also holds super-majorities in both state legislative chambers.

"Under our closed primary system, the Republican primary is the only election that often matters in the state," said Kirby.

"And unfortunately, a small group of activists has been disrupting the party. That could prove problematic for both the party and the state if we stick with closed primaries."

IVP Donate

The case made by primary reform advocates is that, historically, primary elections draw in a low turnout. In safe districts and states, the voters who do turnout effectively decide election outcomes. 

Research from the nonpartisan group Unite America found that partisan primary systems have resulted in just 8% of voters deciding 83% of elections

This creates an incentive with elected officials to govern not based on what the electorate at-large wants, but what primary voters demand. It's a system that can and has easily been infiltrated by extremist movements.

A nonpartisan primary system, like the Top Two system in California or the Top Four system in Alaska, opens the process up to all voters and candidates, thus reducing the control a single group or movement has on election outcomes.

Voters in South Dakota can expect some elections to feature two Republicans in the general election. As seen in California, this gives independents and voters outside the majority party an influential voice in who wins.

Thus, there is less incentive to campaign to the extremes.

"Our challenge with our Top Two open primary proposal is to make people aware of exactly how it works. Once they understand that, they tend to say things like 'of course, why wouldn't we want that?" said Kirby.

 Not much polling has been conducted on Amendment H. However, a June poll from South Dakota News Watch and the Chiesman Center for Democracy found that 54.6% of respondents supported the proposal. 

Let Us Vote : Sign Now!

"So far, I like our chances in November," said Kirby. 

South Dakota Open Primaries submitted 47,000 signatures to put Amendment H on the ballot. Kirby explained that the biggest opposition to Amendment H is from party bosses on both sides of the aisle. 

"Surprisingly, the Democratic leadership is as vocal in its opposition as are the Republicans, even though the party is no longer competitive in the state," he added. 

Amendment H will be on the November 5 ballot in South Dakota. Absentee voting started on September 20.  The measure is one of six state ballot measures in the US calling for an open nonpartisan primary system.

You Might Also Like

Ballrooms, Ballots, and a Three-Way Fight for New York
Ballrooms, Ballots, and a Three-Way Fight for New York
The latest Independent Voter Podcast episode takes listeners through the messy intersections of politics, reform, and public perception. Chad and Cara open with the irony of partisan outrage over trivial issues like a White House ballroom while overlooking the deeper dysfunctions in our democracy. From California to Maine, they unpack how the very words on a ballot can tilt entire elections and how both major parties manipulate language and process to maintain power....
30 Oct, 2025
-
1 min read
Isn't It Weird That Congress Feels No Urgency to Re-Open the Government?
Isn't It Weird That Congress Feels No Urgency to Re-Open the Government?
The U.S. has entered Day 22 of the latest government shutdown with no end in sight. As pundits expect it to surpass the 35-day record set during Trump’s first term, a new Gallup poll shows voters’ approval of Congress has plummeted in the last month. Yet, for congressional leaders, there isn’t any urgency to re-open the government. House Speaker Mike Johnson and Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries trade jabs back and forth in the media, but the blame game continues to be prioritized over solutions....
22 Oct, 2025
-
5 min read
Partisan chess game.
The Gerrymandering Fight is About Democracy -- But Not for the Reasons You Think
The Texas GOP made two significant moves in the last few months to enhance their chances in the 2026 midterms. The first made national headlines and provoked a Democratic Party response. The second has flown under the radar....
20 Oct, 2025
-
4 min read
Hillcrest
'Build, Baby, Build!' is NOT the Answer to Housing Crises
Can San Diego build its way out of its three-part housing crisis – supply, affordability and homelessness? Some of elected officials think so and are leading the charge. I have been in the real estate industry for 50-plus years, and I say they are on the wrong track....
27 Oct, 2025
-
4 min read
Isn't It Weird That Congress Feels No Urgency to Re-Open the Government?
Isn't It Weird That Congress Feels No Urgency to Re-Open the Government?
The U.S. has entered Day 22 of the latest government shutdown with no end in sight. As pundits expect it to surpass the 35-day record set during Trump’s first term, a new Gallup poll shows voters’ approval of Congress has plummeted in the last month. Yet, for congressional leaders, there isn’t any urgency to re-open the government. House Speaker Mike Johnson and Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries trade jabs back and forth in the media, but the blame game continues to be prioritized over solutions....
22 Oct, 2025
-
5 min read
Proposition 50 voter guide
California Prop 50: Partisan Power Play or Necessary Counterpunch?
November 4 marks a special election for what has become the most controversial ballot measure in California in recent memory: Proposition 50, which would circumvent congressional districts drawn by the state’s independent redistricting commission for a legislative-drawn map....
01 Oct, 2025
-
9 min read