Third time's a charm: bill to allow tribal IDs for voter registration inches to passage

Expert opponent warns that bill opens South Dakota up to lawsuit

An example of what a tribal ID could look like. (SD Department of Tribal Relations)

PIERRE – Perseverance has paid off for veteran Democratic lawmaker Shawn Bordeaux.

In 2022 and 2023, he sponsored legislation that would allow tribal members to register to vote using tribal ID cards. Both attempts failed early on in the legislative process.

But in the spirit of try, try again, Bordeaux returned to the Capitol in 2024 with similar legislation. This time it’s on the precipice of making it through the Legslature after he and Rep. Tyler Tordesen, a Sioux Falls Republican, worked with the Secretary of State’s Office to get a version that would comply with federal regulations on voting.

“We think under this schematic, it will work for us all,” Deputy Secretary of State Tom Deadrick told lawmakers.

This year’s bill would allow tribes within the state to enter into memorandums of understanding with the Secretary of State’s Office should they choose to do so. That memorandum would allow enrolled members of that tribe to use their tribal IDs to register to vote. An enactment date that comes after the 2024 General Election would give both state tribes and the Secretary of State’s Office time to on-ramp the new legislation.

Previous attempts to legislate the issue have been far less nuanced — 2023’s bill would have only mandated that the state allow tribal IDs as valid methods to register to vote, along with other state issued IDs.

NEWS: South Dakota troops headed to southern border