Senate Bill 76 proposes making it a little easier for our Native brothers and sisters to register to vote.
A 2003 law requires South Dakotans registering to vote to provide either a South Dakota driver license number or the last four digits of their Social Security number. (See item #6 on the voter registration form.) Individuals with neither a driver license or a Social Security number can still register, but they have to go to their county auditor’s office and sign a statement swearing that they they have neither item.
Sponsored by Senator Troy Heinert (D-26/Mission), SB 76 adds tribal identification cards to the valid documentation one can use to register to vote. South Dakota already recognizes tribal photo ID at the polls as proof of identification, so it makes sense to recognize that same tribal card when an individual signs up to vote in the first place. (Of course, by that logic, South Dakota also recognizes U.S. government IDs like passports, U.S. military IDs, and current student photo IDs, so should we amend SB 76 to include those IDs in voter registration?)
Section 1. That § 12-4-5.4 be amended to read:
12-4-5.4. Any person registering to vote shall provide his or her South Dakota driver license number on the voter registration form. If a person does not have a South Dakota driver license, the person shall provide a tribal identification card or the last four digits of his or her social security number on the voter registration form… [Senate Bill 76, posted 2018.01.16].
Existing statute asks registrants to provide the numbers from their driver licenses or Social Security cards on the voter registration form. SB 76 asks tribal members to provide the tribal ID card itself on the form. I assume that’s just a word slip, but technically, SB 76 as written is not workable. Slip number in after tribal identification card, and SB 76 is a definite Do Pass.