South Dakota Proof of Citizenship Requirement Challenge
League of Women Voters of South Dakota v. Johnson
A pro-voting lawsuit challenging South Dakota’s implementation of its new documentary proof of citizenship requirement for voter registration.
Background
The League of Women Voters of South Dakota and voter Jaysen Hill filed a lawsuit against South Dakota Secretary of State Monae Johnson and members of the State Board of Elections.
The lawsuit challenges how the state is implementing Senate Bill 175, a new law requiring new voter registration applicants to provide documentary proof of citizenship to vote in state and local elections.
Plaintiffs argue that South Dakota is wrongly placing some voters on “federal-only” status without accurate notice or a clear way to fix their registrations. They also argue the state unlawfully requires voters using common forms of proof — including driver’s licenses, nondriver IDs and Tribal IDs — to present originals while accepting photocopies of other citizenship documents.
Why It Matters
This case could determine whether South Dakota voters are wrongly blocked from voting in state and local elections because of confusing paperwork rules and inadequate notice. The complaint alleges that at least 150 federal-only voters were denied the chance to vote in state and local races during the June 2026 primary and runoff elections without accurate notice or a meaningful opportunity to fix their registrations.
The lawsuit also challenges a policy that makes voter registration drives harder by requiring in-person presentation of some of the most common citizenship documents, a rule the plaintiffs says has forced it to stop or scale back voter registration work.
Latest Updates
- Sept. 18, 2026: The court denied the plaintiffs’ motion for a preliminary injunction because the Secretary of State already provided the requested relief.
- Sept. 15, 2026: Hearing scheduled.
- Sept. 11, 2026: Hearing scheduled.
- Aug. 24, 2026: Plaintiffs filed their complaint.