SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO AM) - Supporters of Amendment V say it seeks to remove the current primary system of electing candidates for the legislature and creates an open primary.
Josh Waltjer with the "Victory for Voters Tour" campaign says under V all registered voters would be allowed to vote in a single primary. The campaign is criss-crossing the state encouraging yes votes.
Waltjer says when we elect politicians in a partisan manner, why are we surprised "when they go and represent us in a partisan manner and produce all that gridlock." He says we want to elect "public servants again, not party servants."
Justin Otoski with "Victory" says a similar system is in place in Nebraska and California and is the right move for South Dakota.
Accroding to Otoski, there are 150,000 independent or third party voters left out of the primary now. The primaries select over 90% of the delegates that serve in the South Dakota legislature. In this primary, every candidate would be listed alongside one another with no party affiliation on the ballot. The top two vote getters move on to the general election.
V opponents argue that it gives politicians the constitutional right to hide party information from South Dakotans and makes elections less transparent.