On January 28, 2025, Senate Bill 75 passed the South Dakota State Senate overwhelmingly by a 32 to 3 margin with our own District 27 State Senator Red Dawn Foster voting no to adding one’s citizenship onto a motor vehicle operator’s license or permit and/or non-driver ID card. You can review the bill here: https://sdlegislature.gov/Session/Bill/25723/277174
This bill passed by the state senate is part of a package of voter registration bills introduced in the South Dakota 100th Legislative Session to reform and shore up the integrity of our elections within our state. This bill, in its amended form, would make it easier for poll workers to determine whether fraudulent voter activity occurs within South Dakota’s state, federal, municipal, and school elections. Upon inspection of one's ID, a poll worker can decide immediately if the voter is eligible to vote in our elections.
It is without question, that there are foreign nationals who are here legally working under a work visa permit as well as undocumented migrants who have a motor vehicle and non-driver identification card. This bill secures our elections by confirming that only US citizens are allowed to vote. The question is: Why did Senator Foster vote no on this common sense bill to protect the integrity of our elections in South Dakota? What was her motivation for not supporting the bill? Our local media should be asking this question, but they remain silent.
The right to vote in an election is a privilege and is meant to be for US Citizens only. Senator Foster thinks otherwise. After all, our corrupt State Senator continues to maintain her voter registration in the State of Colorado. I just looked up her active voter registration in Colorado today and again – no change. See screenshot below:
As I watched the roll call voice vote on the South Dakota Public TV livestream, I found it interesting that Foster initially said “Pass” when her name was called. I think she put a “finger to the wind” to determine how her Democratic colleagues would vote, though she no longer caucuses with them. The roll call continued and then it was only after the Democrat colleagues (Larson and Smith) voted “Nay” that she decided to cast a NO vote on Senate Bill 75 after the clerk circled back to complete the roll call vote. You can watch the rollcall vote here beginning at 1:57:37 timestamp: https://www.sd.net/blogs/archive/1282025-south-dakota-legislative-day-10/
Allowing non-US Citizens to vote in our elections is not what the voters of District 27 want. The voters of District 27 believe in the rule of law and want the integrity of our elections protected. Putting one’s citizenship on the back of a motor vehicle operator's license, permit, and on a non-driver ID card is a positive step in promoting open, fair, and transparent elections in our country. Apparently, Senator Foster does not believe this and votes against the will of the people. Moreover, she has no desire to protect the integrity of our elections. It comes as no surprise. State Senator Foster continues to get away with maintaining an active voter registration in the State of Colorado while voting in our South Dakota elections. Her NO vote continues to cast a shadow on her campaign as to whether or not illegal voting activity continues to occur within District 27. Senate Bill 75 is a step in the right direction and will close a loophole in making sure that only US citizens are allowed to vote in our elections.
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