Amendment L: 60% threshold amendmentRequire 60% of votes to pass future constitutional amendments
Read the full text of the measure: Secretary of State ballot question pamphlet (PDF)
In plain words
Today a proposed change to the South Dakota constitution takes effect if more than half of the votes cast on it are Yes. This amendment would require 60% for future constitutional amendments and revisions. This amendment itself needs only a simple majority to pass. It would apply to changes put on the ballot by citizens and by the Legislature. (sdsos.gov (Secretary of State) )
Before and after
| Question | Today | If it passes |
|---|---|---|
| Share of votes a constitutional amendment needs | A majority of votes cast (more than 50%) | 60% of votes cast |
| Example: 100,000 votes cast on an amendment | 50,001 Yes votes pass it | 60,000 Yes votes needed |
| What this amendment itself needs | A simple majority | A simple majority |
Numbers from the sources linked (not yet checked against the official ballot title) (ballot title ); also see (en.wikipedia.org )
Biggest change
- Raises the vote needed for future constitutional amendments and revisions from a majority to 60% of the votes cast. source: en.wikipedia.org
Who it affects most: Voters who bring or support citizen-initiated constitutional amendments, and anyone who wants to change the constitution in future.
Cost to the state: No fiscal note in the pamphlet or handout. No direct cost; it changes the vote needed, not government spending.
Our plain-words summary. Every line points to its source.
What your vote means
Future changes to the South Dakota constitution would need 60% of the votes cast, not just a majority.
Future changes to the constitution keep passing with a majority of the votes cast.
Our one-line summary. The Attorney General's official Yes and No effects are quoted above.
Why people want it, and why others object
Why this is on the ballot
The Legislature put this on the ballot. It changes the state constitution, so only another statewide vote can change it back. It passes with a simple majority of the votes cast on it.
- The Legislature put this on the ballot: the House passed it 61-5 on Jan. 22, 2025 and the Senate 29-4 on March 10, 2025. Opponents point out that voters turned down similar proposals in 2018 and 2022 (per the opposing statement in the official pamphlet). source: en.wikipedia.org
- Sponsor Rep. John Hughes (R, Sioux Falls) says voters have put too much policy into the constitution, and that it should cover the structure and functions of government. source: southdakotasearchlight.com
Why supporters want it
- Rep. John Hughes, Dale Bartscher (South Dakota Right to Life) and Nathan Sanderson (South Dakota Retailers), in the official pamphlet: "our foundational document should not be subject to the political whims of a given election cycle." They say the constitution should be harder to change. source: sdsos.gov (Secretary of State)
- Hughes: "It's not attacking democracy" (headline quote from a KOTA TV interview). source: kotatv.com
Why opponents object
- Chase Jensen (Dakota Rural Action) and Ryan Rolfs (South Dakota Education Association), in the official pamphlet: "Protect majority rule. Don't give away your power." They say it would enable minority rule. source: sdsos.gov (Secretary of State)
- Jensen says Republican lawmakers want to stop voters from passing amendments they don't like, and points to the 2022 Medicaid expansion amendment as an example. source: southdakotasearchlight.com
- The Voter Defense Association of South Dakota began a campaign against it in May 2025; its president says it would weaken the ballot initiative process. source: en.wikipedia.org
Who backs each side
- For: Rep. John Hughes and 11 other House members, Sen. John Carley and 7 other senators (sponsors/supporters listed), South Dakota Right to Life, South Dakota Retailers. Against: Dakota Rural Action, South Dakota Education Association, Voter Defense Association of South Dakota. No campaign committees or money found yet. source: en.wikipedia.org
In each side's own words where we could find them, quoted or summarized with a link to the source. We don't endorse either side.
What you will see on your ballot
Official ballot wording, word for word (tap to open)
The official ballot title, word for word from the Secretary of State's official ballot question pamphlet .
Constitutional Amendment L. Title: An Amendment to the South Dakota Constitution Requiring that a Proposed Constitutional Amendment or Revision Receive an Affirmative Vote of Sixty Percent of the Votes Cast.
Attorney General explanation: The State Constitution provides that any proposed constitutional amendment or revision must be submitted to the voters for approval. Currently, a proposed constitutional amendment or revision becomes part of the Constitution if approved by a majority of the votes cast.
This proposed Constitutional Amendment increases the number of votes required for a proposed constitutional amendment or revision to become part of the Constitution. If passed, further constitutional amendments must receive an affirmative vote of sixty percent of the votes cast to be implemented.
Vote “Yes” to adopt the amendment.
Vote “No” to leave the Constitution as it is.
The text of this constitutional amendment is one page long containing two sections.
Copied from the Attorney General's title, explanation and vote effects in the pamphlet (printed pages 2 to 5). The Legislature's file holds the resolution's own title and the amendment text, which are different from the Attorney General's ballot title.
Latest news
Recent reporting from a range of outlets, newest first. We link to it; we don't endorse it.
No articles collected yet for this measure.
Full text of the measure
The exact words of the amendment are in the Attorney General's final-form PDF on the Secretary of State's site, which is scanned and not yet checked by us. Read it in the Secretary of State ballot question pamphlet (PDF) .
Read more
- Secretary of State: 2026 ballot question pamphlet (PDF)
- Wikipedia: 2026 South Dakota Amendment L
- South Dakota Searchlight: pro and con voices on Amendment L
- Secretary of State: 2026 ballot question pamphlet (PDF)
We link to analysis from several sources; we don't endorse it.