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Senate rejects changes to absentee voting rules after wide floor debate
Summary
Senate Bill 188, which would have tightened eligibility and procedures for absentee voting, failed 14–21 after debate over access for rural, elderly and transportation-limited voters and concerns raised by county auditors and civil-rights groups.
The South Dakota Senate defeated Senate Bill 188 on final passage, 14 yeas to 21 nays, after an extended floor debate in which sponsors and opponents argued about election integrity, accessibility and administrative burdens.
Senator Blanc, sponsor of SB 188, described the bill as a "common sense" update to absentee voting rules and said amendments had increased an in-person early voting window from 15 to 21 days and added an eligibility reason to permit…
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