Signatures submitted for ‘top two’ primary election in Republican-dominant South Dakota

By JACK DURA
Associated Press

Supporters of a “top two” primary election system in South Dakota submitted petitions with 47,000 signatures on Monday to put their measure on the November ballot. Their proposal is for a constitutional amendment to replace South Dakota’s current partisan primary with an open one for all voters and candidates. Republicans dominate politics in South Dakota, where Democrats haven’t won a statewide election since 2008. Measure backers need 35,017 valid signatures to make the ballot this fall. A similar measure failed in 2016. South Dakota’s Republican Party opposes the measure. The Democratic Party hasn’t taken a stance on it.