South Dakota Independent Redistricting Commission Initiative (2018)
| South Dakota Independent Redistricting Commission Initiative | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Election date November 6, 2018 | |
| Topic Redistricting measures | |
| Status Not on the ballot | |
| Type Constitutional amendment | Origin Citizens |
The South Dakota Independent Redistricting Commission Initiative was not on the ballot in South Dakota as an initiated constitutional amendment on November 6, 2018.
The measure was designed to create a redistricting commission composed of nine registered voters to draw the map for state legislative districts. As of 2018, the South Dakota State Legislature designated state legislative districts.[1][2]
The State Board of Elections would have selected the members under the proposed initiative. It would have provided that members of the commission were not public officials or political party officials. The measure would have also provided that no more than three commission members could be of the same political party.
The redistricting commission would have been required to design legislative districts in a grid-like pattern across the state.
On March 12, 2018, the secretary of state announced that the initiative petition was 2,469 signatures short of the requirement and that the initiative had failed to qualify for the ballot. On November 6, 2017, supporters submitted over 34,000 signatures. At least 27,741 (81.6 percent) of those signatures needed to be valid in order for the measure to qualify for the 2018 ballot.[3][4]
Initiative design
The measure would have created a redistricting commission composed of nine registered voters to design state legislative districts. The new commission would have begun redistricting in 2021 and continued to do so every 10 years. After developing an initial plan, the map would have been required to be made available to the public for comment for 30 days. After the comment period, the commission would have established the final legislative district lines.[1]
If approved, the amendment would have required the new commission to be made up of nine registered voters selected each year that redistricting takes place by the State Board of Elections. Members of the commission would have been required to have the same party registration, or be registered as unaffiliated with a party, for at least three years immediately prior to their appointment to the commission. No more than three commission members would have been able to belong to any one political party.[1]
Additionally, commission members would not have been able to hold certain state or local public offices, or any offices in a political party organization for three years before or after their appointment to the commission.[1]
Text of measure
Ballot title
The ballot title was as follows:[1]
| “ | An initiated amendment to the South Dakota Constitution providing for state legislative redistricting by a commission.[5] | ” |
Ballot summary
The ballot summary was as follows:[1]
| “ | State Senators and Representatives are elected from within legislative districts. The South Dakota constitution currently requires the Legislature to establish these legislative districts every ten years. This amendment removes that authority from the Legislature and grants it to a redistricting commission.
Under the amendment, the commission is made up of nine registered voters selected each redistricting year by the State Board of Elections. A commission member must have the same party registration, or be registered as unaffiliated with a party, for three continuous years immediately prior to appointment. No more than three commission members may belong to the same political party. Commission members may not hold certain state or local public offices, nor hold office in a political party organization. This restriction also applies for three years immediately prior to appointment to the commission, and three years immediately after appointment. The commission will redistrict in 2021 and every ten years thereafter. The commission must make a draft redistricting map available for public inspection, and must accept written comments for thirty days. The commission will then establish final legislative district boundaries. The districts must be drawn in compliance with state and federal law.[5] |
” |
Full text
The full text of the initiative is available here.
Support
Citizens for Fair Elections led the campaign in support of the measure.[6]
Supporters
Organizations
Individuals
- Rick Weiland (D), 2014 candidate for U.S. Senate[8]
Arguments
- Rick Weiland (D), who was a candidate for the U.S. Senate in 2014, said, "Why would we allow elected politicians, why would we afford them the opportunity to draw their legislative district? It just doesn't make any sense. When you have complete one-party domination, you're going to get one-party dominated redistricting efforts."[8]
Opposition
Arguments
- Sen. Jim Bolin (R-16) stated, "It's the most bogus, unnecessary thing that is out there. It was defeated decisively last time, and I hope it's defeated decisively this time."[8]
Campaign finance
| Total campaign contributions: | |
| Support: | $68,500.00 |
| Opposition: | $0.00 |
There was one ballot measure committee, Citizens for Fair Elections, registered in support of the measure. The committee had raised $68,500 and spent $68,500.[6][9]
No committees had registered in opposition to this initiative.[9]
Support
|
| |||||||||||||||||||||||
Donors
| Donor | Cash | In-kind | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tim Johnson for SD | $50,000.00 | $0.00 | $50,000.00 |
| Electrical Workers #426/U26 | $10,000.00 | $0.00 | $10,000.00 |
| CWA COPE-PCC | $5,000.00 | $0.00 | $5,000.00 |
| SD State Federation of Labor AFL-CIO | $3,500.00 | $0.00 | $3,500.00 |
Opposition
No committees had registered in opposition to this initiative.[9]
Methodology
To read Ballotpedia's methodology for covering ballot measure campaign finance information, click here.
Background
Redistricting in South Dakota
- See also: Redistricting measures on the ballot
- See also: Redistricting in South Dakota
State legislative districts are areas within a state from which members of a state legislature are elected. As of March 2018, the state legislature was responsible for drawing state legislative district lines in South Dakota. Lines were set to be redrawn every ten years following a federal census. The redistricting plans are subject to veto by the governor. This initiative would have removed the authority of the South Dakota state legislature to draw state legislative district lines. Instead, lines would have been drawn by an independent commission.
In 2016, South Dakota voters defeated a similar initiative that would have created an independent redistricting commission made up of nine registered voters. In 2016, 57.03 percent of voters voted to defeat the measure, while 42.97 percent voted to approve it.
Procedures for state legislative redistricting in U.S.
In 34 of the 50 states, state legislatures play the dominant role in state legislative redistricting. Commissions draw state legislative district lines in 14 states. In two states, hybrid systems are used, in which state legislature share redistricting authority with commissions. See the map and table below for further details.[10][11][12]
Path to the ballot
In South Dakota, supporters must send proposed initiatives to the South Dakota Legislative Research Council (LRC) for review. Proponents then send the proposal to the attorney general's office to have a ballot title and summary drafted. This information is forwarded to the secretary of state. Supporters can start signature collection as early as two years before the targeted election, and signatures must be submitted at least one year before the targeted election. Signature requirements in South Dakota are based on the total number of votes cast in the state's most recent gubernatorial election. A number of signatures equal to 5 percent of this total was necessary for qualifying initiatives for the 2018 ballot. Supporters needed to collect and submit at least 27,741 valid signatures by November 6, 2017, in order to qualify an initiated constitutional amendment for the 2018 ballot.
Drey Samuelson submitted the proposal to the South Dakota Legislative Research Council on June 13, 2017. The attorney general provided a ballot title and summary for the initiative on July 26, 2017.[3]
On November 6, 2017, supporters submitted over 34,000 signatures. At least 27,741 of those signatures must be valid in order for the measure to qualify for the 2018 ballot. On March 12, 2018, the secretary of state announced that the initiative petition was 2,469 signatures short of the requirement and that the initiative had failed to qualify for the ballot.[3][4]
See also
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 South Dakota Secretary of State, "An Initiated amendment to the South Dakota Constitution providing for state legislative redistricting by a commission," July 26, 2017
- ↑ All About Redistricting, "Who draws the lines?" accessed March 25, 2015
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 South Dakota Secretary of State, "Potential 2018 Ballot Measures," accessed May 16, 2017
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 US News, "Voters May See Cannabis, Tobacco Tax on South Dakota Ballot," November 6, 2017
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 South Dakota Secretary of State, "Citizens for Fair Elections," accessed December 27, 2017
- ↑ ACLU, "Call To Action Goal (South Dakota)," accessed December 28, 2017
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 U.S. News, "Supporters Hope to Try Again With Redistricting Amendment," July 27, 2017
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 South Dakota Secretary of State, "Campaign Finance Reporting System," accessed December 27, 2017
- ↑ All About Redistricting, "National Summary," accessed July 29, 2024
- ↑ The American Redistricting Project, "State," accessed July 29, 2024
- ↑ NCSL, "Redistricting Commissions: State Legislative Plans," December 10, 2021
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