South Dakota Voters Reject Higher Threshold for Constitutional Amendments

South Dakota voters defeated Amendment L on Tuesday, a legislatively referred measure that would have raised the approval threshold for state constitutional amendments from a simple majority to 60%. The Associated Press called the race with 58% opposed and 42% in favor. Republican sponsors argued a higher bar would protect the constitution from policies that don't belong there, while opponents said the measure specifically targeted citizen-led amendments like the Medicaid expansion voters enshrined in the constitution four years ago, plus future abortion-rights measures. This marks the third time since 2018 that South Dakota voters have rejected efforts to raise approval thresholds for ballot questions.

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