Voting rights lawsuit prompts South Dakota to fix ‘confusing’ proof-of-citizenship system

Key Points:

• A federal judge denied a voting rights group's request to block part of South Dakota's new proof-of-citizenship voting system after the state revised its voter notices and addressed many of the group's concerns.
• The lawsuit challenged Senate Bill 175, which requires new voter registration applicants to provide documentary proof of citizenship for state and local elections, and criticized an automated notice that incorrectly informed some voters of address issues instead of missing citizenship proof.
• Following court arguments, South Dakota disabled the problematic auto-generated letter and introduced two separate notice templates for address issues and citizenship documentation, also instructing county officials to send corrected notices to affected voters.
• The judge found no reason to expect the state would revert to the earlier problematic practices and denied the emergency injunction as moot, but emphasized the importance of truthful communication about voter status and left the door open for further legal action if needed.
• The lawsuit continues with due process claims still active, allowing plaintiffs to seek permanent relief if the state fails to uphold the revised procedures.