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House debates bill to restrict voting via mail‑forwarding addresses, considers amendment to add statewide offices
Summary
Lawmakers debated House Bill 12‑08, aimed at handling voter registration by people using mail‑forwarding services or PO boxes and proposing a separate "national voter" ballot for federal offices. An amendment was offered to allow such voters to participate in statewide contests; the transcript does not record final action.
Pierre — The House considered House Bill 12‑08, legislation intended to address voter registrations by individuals using mail‑forwarding services and post‑office box addresses and to create a separate "national voter" ballot that would allow those individuals to cast ballots for federal offices but not for state or local offices.
Rep. Kaiser outlined the bill and described instances he said illustrate the problem, including testimony about people using one-night stays and mail‑forwarding services to obtain South Dakota driver’s licenses and register to vote while living elsewhere. "We have people voting in our elections, even at the local level that have no stake in the outcome of those local elections," Kaiser said in floor remarks. He said the bill implements a 30 consecutive‑day residency requirement and that the national voter ballot would be limited to federal offices.
Rep. Healy moved amendment 12‑08E, which would allow mail‑forwarding or commercial mail receiving agency customers to vote in statewide contests — including governor, attorney general, secretary of state — and to vote on statewide ballot measures that would create or raise a tax or fee. Healy argued the amendment is "a very modest addition" to prevent taxation without representation for people who nevertheless pay state taxes and fees.
The amendment was seconded and discussed on the floor. Rep. Reimer invoked Joint Rule 5‑17 during consideration; the transcript shows that invocation but does not record the final disposition of the amendment or of House Bill 12‑08 on the floor in the provided excerpt.
Sponsor remarks included numeric claims about the scale of the issue; Rep. Kaiser said there are "close to 50,000 individuals" registered using PO‑box or mail‑forwarding addresses. The bill sponsor also referenced related legislation (House Bill 10‑66) as an alternate approach. The transcript records detailed floor debate and the amendment’s language but does not include a recorded vote or final action on the bill in the provided material.
Because the transcript does not show a floor vote or final disposition for HB 12‑08 in the provided excerpt, this account limits itself to floor discussion and the amendment process as recorded.
