Letter of Opposition to Amendment H

On July 8th, the South Dakota Democratic Party Executive Board voted unanimously to oppose Amendment H this fall. Inaccurately referred to as an “open primary,” the language of the measure actually promotes a “top-two primary”. It is, in-part, funded by out-of-state support. The Amendment H campaign misleads South Dakotans through half-truths and unsupported claims.

Amendment H will limit the number of candidates on the general ballot to only two candidates in most races. Currently, there can be more than two on a general election ballot. Because our petition window doesn’t begin until January of an election year, this will create an even tighter timeline for candidates to start a campaign and raise money. This will also increase the reliance on Big Money interests and give an advantage to high-income, self-funded candidates.

Only two other states, California and Washington, use the same system as proposed in Amendment H. In those states, the minority parties are regularly locked out of elections and there is no evidence to suggest that the change has improved the quality of candidates or increased voter turnout. In fact, in 2022, California and South Dakota had the same primary turnout at 29%. Wyoming, which has a closed primary, had 42% voter turnout. This was due to the primary between Rep. Liz Cheney and Harriet Hageman.

This measure also encourages voter deception. It allows for a candidate to lie about their party affiliation. According to the Attorney General’s explanation of Amendment H “A candidate may list any party next to their name on the ballot regardless of party affiliation or registration.”

Frustration with political party shortcomings over the last decade has led many loyal party members to demand change. Change comes from recruiting better candidates and focusing on the issues that are important to South Dakotans. These factors are what will also increase voter turnout. We don’t need a permanent, untested revision to our state constitution.

Amendment H limits voter’s options, encourages voter deception and makes it harder for the average South Dakotan to run for office. If approved, Amendment H will disenfranchise voters across South Dakota. For these reasons, I ask South Dakota voters to join me in rejecting Amendment H this fall.

Sincerely,

Dan Ahlers

Executive Director,

South Dakota Democratic Party

For questions, you can contact the SDDP Executive Director Dan Ahlers at dan@sddp.org or contact the state party office by phone at 605-271-5405 or 605-940-3071.