Amend provisions pertaining to the publication of the statewide voter registration file.
SB 214 amends South Dakota law governing the statewide voter registration file and its publication by the secretary of state. The bill requires the secretary of state to continue posting the complete statewide voter registration file on the website every Monday by 11:59 p.m. Central Time, and it clarifies that the weekly post must include updates from county master registration files. It also requires the secretary of state to maintain a rolling five-year historical archive of the complete statewide voter registration file, including the weekly postings, and to make that archive available on the website free of charge.
The bill also specifies privacy protections for certain sensitive data in the historical archive. Social security numbers, driver’s license numbers, South Dakota nondriver identification numbers, and an individual’s month and day of birth are not open to public inspection in the archive. In addition, the bill retains and reinforces existing limits on how voter registration information may be used, including prohibitions on selling the data, using it for commercial purposes, or placing it on the internet for unrestricted access except as allowed by the publication provisions in §§ 12-4-37 and 12-4-37.1. Violations remain a Class 1 misdemeanor and may also trigger a civil penalty of up to $2,000 per violation.
The bill’s impact is to formalize and expand public access to voter registration records while preserving certain confidentiality protections. It affects the secretary of state, county auditors, and anyone who obtains statewide or county voter registration data, especially political campaigns, pollsters, and other users of voter files. It also creates a clearer statutory framework for long-term archival access to voter registration information and for the handling of sensitive personal identifiers within that archive.
The overall sentiment reflected in the voting history appears strongly supportive, with unanimous or near-unanimous committee and floor votes at several stages and final concurrence in amendments passing 34-0. The only notable division appears on the House floor amended passage, which passed 36-30, suggesting some disagreement over the scope or policy implications of the changes. No committee transcripts were provided, so the record does not show detailed debate, but the vote pattern indicates broad legislative support with some floor-level concern.
The main point of contention is likely the balance between transparency and privacy: the bill increases public availability of voter registration data and creates a searchable historical archive, while also restricting access to certain personal information and prohibiting commercial use. Supporters likely viewed the measure as improving public access and administrative clarity, while opponents may have been concerned about voter privacy, data exposure, or the broader availability of voter file information.
SB 214 amends South Dakota Codified Laws §§ 12-4-37, 12-4-37.1, and 12-4-41. It requires the secretary of state to publish the statewide voter registration file weekly, maintain a free rolling five-year historical archive of those files, and keep certain personal identifiers in that archive from public inspection. It also preserves existing restrictions on sale, commercial use, and unrestricted internet posting of voter registration data, with criminal and civil penalties for violations.
The bill appears to have broad legislative support overall, with multiple unanimous votes in committee and on the floor, and final concurrence in amendments passing 34-0. The one more divided vote, 36-30 on amended passage in the House, suggests some concern about the policy balance, but the final outcome indicates the measure was ultimately acceptable to most legislators.
The likely controversy centers on voter-file transparency versus privacy. Supporters would favor the weekly publication and historical archive as improving access to election records and administrative transparency, while critics may worry that making a long-term archive available online increases the risk of misuse or voter privacy harms. The bill addresses some of those concerns by shielding sensitive identifiers and limiting commercial use, but the extent of public access to voter registration data remains the key point of debate.