MITCHELL, SD (Mitchell Now) — South Dakota Attorney General Marty Jackley has released the final ballot explanation for a proposed constitutional amendment that would require future amendments to the South Dakota Constitution to receive at least 60% voter approval before becoming law.
The proposal, approved during the 2025 South Dakota Legislature as House Joint Resolution 5003, will appear on the Nov. 3 general election ballot. The measure was sponsored by Rep. John Hughes and Sen. Sue Peterson.
Under current law, constitutional amendments and revisions are adopted with a simple majority vote. If approved by voters, the proposed amendment would raise that threshold to 60% of votes cast on future constitutional amendment questions.
The Attorney General’s official explanation states that a “Yes” vote would adopt the amendment, while a “No” vote would leave the Constitution unchanged.
Jackley said his office takes no position on ballot measures and is required by state law to provide a fair and neutral explanation for voters. The final language was issued after a 10-day public comment period in which two comments were submitted regarding the proposed explanation.
One public comment suggested the explanation include that South Dakota voters rejected similar supermajority proposals in 2018 and 2022. Another commenter proposed similar language referencing past defeats of supermajority amendment requirements. Those suggestions were not included in the final explanation.
Click here for PDF of HJR 503
More information on South Dakota ballot measures is available through the South Dakota Secretary of State