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Senate approves measure to limit municipal and school elections to June or November
Summary
The South Dakota Senate on March 10 passed House Bill 11‑30 to require municipal and school district elections to be held on the state'wide June primary or November general election days, with supporters citing low turnout for off‑cycle local votes and opponents warning of administrative burdens and more uninformed voters.
The South Dakota Senate on March 10 passed House Bill 11‑30, a measure that would require school board and municipal elections to be held on the first Tuesday in June (primary day) or the first Tuesday in November (general election day).
Supporters said aligning local elections with existing statewide election days would boost turnout. "Each of us have had complaints about low voter turnout," sponsor Senator John Carr said on the floor, adding that some Sioux Falls school board elections drew single‑digit turnout and that the June primary and November general draw far larger participations.
The bill narrows the current window for local elections, which now can occur any time between the second Tuesday in April and the third Tuesday in June, to the two specified dates. "We can't force voters to vote after all, but what we can do is align those days," Carr said.
Opponents, including Senator Phil Jensen and Senator Casey Kolbeck, said the change would bring unintended consequences for local governments and school districts. Jensen warned it would create many uninformed voters who arrive to cast votes on unfamiliar local offices or judges. Kolbeck and others said municipal calendars, differing district boundaries that cross counties and the added administrative work for municipalities and auditors would offset any potential savings and could even force use of centralized voting centers.
Senator Jim Petersen, one of the bill's floor advocates, pointed to 2022 turnout figures: a June primary statewide turnout around 32 percent versus single‑digit turnout in some odd‑year local contests, and said aligning dates was a way to increase voter participation.
After extended floor debate, the Senate recorded 23 ayes, 11 nays and 1 excused, and the president declared the bill passed.
What happens next: House Bill 11‑30 will return to the House for any further processing required before it becomes law. Proponents said they expect administrative adjustments by local election officials ahead of the first affected election date.
