Populism

South Dakota's history of populism, which generated the initiative and referendum process, could cause a hot election this fall:

South Dakota voters should plan to spend extra time at the polls in November if the ballot is as huge as elections officials believe it will be.

In addition to contests for statewide and legislative offices, the state’s 38 circuit judges, who are elected for eight-year terms, will be on the ballot.

But it’s a slew of controversial proposed constitutional amendments, a yet-unknown number of initiated measures and the possibility of a referendum on controversial abortion-ban legislation that could lead to a larger-than-usual voter turnout for an off-year, non-presidential election.

“South Dakota has a long tradition of popular initiative and referendum,” Secretary of State Chris Nelson said. In 1898 — less than a decade after statehood — South Dakota became the first state to provide for a way for voters to enact and reject legislation.

In 1972, the state constitution was amended to allow constitutional changes by initiative, and in 1988, the voters changed the state constitution so that initiatives did not have to be approved by the Legislature before getting on the ballot.