Supporters of a “top two” primary election system in South Dakota have submitted thousands more petition signatures than required to bring a vote this fall on their ballot initiative. The proposed system, already implemented in states like California and Washington, would allow candidates from all parties to appear on a single, nonpartisan ballot, with the top two vote-getters advancing to the general election regardless of affiliation. The measure, sponsored by Deanna “De” Knudson, a registered Republican, aims to address what she sees as a fairness issue in the current nomination system which excludes a large proportion of voters from the real race.
On Monday, South Dakota Open Primaries sponsors submitted 47,000 signatures to Secretary of State Monae Johnson’s office, surpassing the 35,017 needed to make the November ballot. If approved, the proposed constitutional amendment would replace the current partisan primary election system with one open to all voters, where candidates compete against each other in one primary and the top two vote-getters in each race advance to the general election. A similar measure failed in 2016, but proponents believe it will lead to a more competitive process and ensure that the winning candidate is one most South Dakotans agree on.
South Dakota, where Republicans currently hold all statewide elected offices and congressional seats, has nearly 602,000 registered voters, including 304,000 Republicans and 144,000 Democrats. However, there are nearly 150,000 voters registered as “no party affiliation” or “independent.” State Republican Party Chairman and state Sen. John Wiik strongly opposes the measure, believing that it will not benefit the Republican Party. He emphasized the importance of allowing Republicans to choose the Republican candidate and Democrats to choose the Democrat candidate, arguing that being an independent means being independent of decisions that affect one’s life.
Knudson, the measure sponsor, believes that the proposed system would lead to a fairer process and ensure that the winning candidate truly represents the will of South Dakotans. She questioned the balance of power in the Legislature, where Democrats hold only 11 of 105 seats, and whether this is reflective of voters’ preferences. State Democratic Party Executive Director Dan Ahlers stated that the party has not taken a stance on the measure, as the party allows “no party affiliation” and independent voters to vote in its primary along with registered Democrats. The proposed “top two” primary election system aims to bring about a more competitive process and ensure that the winning candidate is the one most supported by the electorate.
