Secretary of State’s Office clears three petitions for circulation; Next step is sponsors gathering 35,000+ signatures

The South Dakota Secretary of State’s Office has approved three ballot question petitions for circulation.

The sponsors of the ballot questions must submit at least 35,017 signatures for their proposed constitutional amendments to appear on the Nov. 3, 2026, general election ballot. The ballot question petitions must be returned to the Secretary of State’s Office for review by May 5, 2026.

The ballot questions that have been approved for circulation are:

• An Amendment to the South Dakota Constitution requiring legislative changes to initiative and referendum procedures to be approved by a vote of the people.
• An Amendment to the South Dakota Constitution requiring legislative changes to voter-approved initiated measures, for seven years after approval, to pass by a three-fourths vote of the Legislature and be approved by a vote of the people.
• An Amendment to the South Dakota Constitution to repeal real property taxes and replace them with a “retail transaction” tax.

More information for each ballot question is on the Secretary of State’s website, https://sdsos.gov/elections-voting/upcoming-elections/general-information/2026/2026-ballot-questions.aspx.