South Dakota voters have approved Amendment J, a constitutional amendment that explicitly affirms only U.S. citizens are allowed to vote in state elections, according to projections from Decision Desk HQ. The measure, which appeared on the ballot during the 2026 midterm elections, seeks to codify citizenship requirements for voting in the state constitution. Separately, NBC News projects that South Dakota voters rejected Amendment I, which concerned Medicaid expansion and federal funding.
What the Left Is Saying
While the source material does not provide specific local quotes from South Dakota Democrats regarding Amendment J, the broader progressive stance on healthcare is illuminated by House Democratic Caucus Chair Pete Aguilar. Following the midterm results, Aguilar stated that Democrats intend to "restore funding for Medicaid" at the federal level. This national priority contrasts sharply with the rejection of Amendment I in South Dakota, where voters turned down a measure specifically addressing Medicaid expansion and federal funding.
The simultaneous passage of the voting restriction and the failure of the Medicaid measure indicates that South Dakota voters may have separated social welfare issues from voting eligibility debates. While progressive leaders like Aguilar frame healthcare as a cost-of-living issue to be restored, the local electorate in South Dakota signaled a different priority, rejecting the expansion of federal healthcare mechanisms while affirming strict citizenship requirements for voting.
What the Right Is Saying
Conservative leaders and Republican officials have generally supported measures that reinforce citizenship requirements for voting as a matter of election integrity and constitutional clarity. The passage of Amendment J aligns with a broader national push by conservative groups to ensure that non-citizen voting is explicitly prohibited in state constitutions, a stance often framed by proponents as protecting the franchise for eligible voters.
The political environment in South Dakota favored Republican incumbents, reinforcing the conservative mandate in the state. Sen. Mike Rounds (R-SD) won reelection to his Senate seat, as projected by CBS News, maintaining Republican control of the state's Senate delegation. Rounds has represented South Dakota in the Senate since 2015, and his victory suggests a continued alignment with the GOP’s platform on both election integrity and limited federal healthcare expansion.
What the Numbers Show
According to Decision Desk HQ, Amendment J is projected to pass. Conversely, NBC News projects that Amendment I, regarding Medicaid expansion and federal funding, was rejected by South Dakota voters. The data points to a split ticket or issue-based voting pattern, where voters approved a restriction on voting rights while rejecting a measure to expand federal healthcare funding mechanisms.
In the concurrent Senate race, CBS News projected that Republican incumbent Sen. Mike Rounds won reelection. The rejection of Amendment I stands in contrast to the national Democratic focus on healthcare, as House Democratic Caucus Chair Pete Aguilar noted that his party aims to "bring down the cost of housing, healthcare, gas, groceries and utilities." However, South Dakota voters did not extend this healthcare priority to the state-level ballot measure.
These figures are based on early projections and partial counts as of the election night reporting. The NBC News Decision Desk estimates that Democrats will control at least 255 House seats in the next Congress, a national shift that did not immediately translate to a victory for the Medicaid expansion measure in South Dakota.
The Bottom Line
The approval of Amendment J formally embeds the restriction of voting rights to U.S. citizens in the South Dakota Constitution, potentially preempting future legal challenges regarding local or state-level voting eligibility. The rejection of Amendment I signals that voters did not endorse the proposed changes to Medicaid funding, which could impact state-level healthcare policy discussions in the coming legislative session.
These outcomes reflect voter sentiment during the 2026 midterms, though final official tallies may vary as all votes are counted. Election officials will certify the results in the coming weeks, confirming the constitutional changes and the reelection of Sen. Rounds.