Amendment H, a bill to open South Dakota primary elections to non-party members, has been killed at the ballot box.
The Associated Press called the race late Tuesday night.
Proponents said the bill would have given more South Dakotans access to the states most important elections, namely the state Republican Primary.
Opposition, like No on H campaign chair Ezra Hays, said it’s easy enough to register with a political party.
“You know, we were outspent big time," Hays said. "That just shows that people can see through what’s going on. We’re excited about the positive results we’re seeing and the messaging we’re getting across to people.”
In a statement, South Dakota Open Primaries chair Joe Kirby expressed disappointment, saying the measure gave South Dakotans a chance to “address some fundamental deficiencies in state government.”
With this result, South Dakota’s primary elections will remain closed to only party members.