Senate Bill 17 would remove the 30-day residency requirement to register to vote in South Dakota.
The ACLU of South Dakota supports Senate Bill 17. Voting is a constitutional right that is fundamental to the health of our democracy. Requiring a citizen to reside in a certain place for a predetermined length of time places an unnecessary barrier to a citizen’s right to register to vote and participate in elections.
The Supreme Court of the United States has affirmed that durational residency requirements for voter registration do not withstand legal scrutiny and are likely unconstitutional. Our government should focus on making it easier for everyone to vote, not harder.
