Voting in South Dakota
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Contents |
Registration
South Dakota uses a closed primary system, meaning voters must register with a party to be able to vote in their primary election.
To vote in South Dakota, you must meet the following requirements:[1]
- Be a United States citizen
- Reside in South Dakota (residency defined)
- Be at least 18 years old on or before the next election
- Not currently serving a sentence for a felony conviction which included imprisonment, served or suspended, in an adult penitentiary system (See additional felony information)
- Not be judged mentally incompetent by a court of law
When and where
You may print a Voter Registration Form, complete it, sign it and then send it to your county auditor, download a registration form or, fill-out the on-line form, print and send. The deadline for registration is 15 days before any election. Your card must be received by the auditor by this deadline if you are to vote in the next election.[1]
In addition you may register in the following locations:
- County auditor's office
- City finance office
- Driver's license station
- Public assistance agencies providing food stamps, TANF or WIC
- Department of Human Services offices which provide assistance to the disabled
- Military recruitment offices
- Mail-in registration with cards from the county auditor's office or from one of the links above
Online registration
As of May 2013, South Dakota is one of the 37 states that have not implemented online voter registration.
Voting on election day
All first time voters must show proof of identification. Approved forms of photo identification include: South Dakota driver’s license or nondriver ID card, U.S. government photo ID, U.S. Armed Forces ID, student photo ID from a South Dakota high school or South Dakota accredited institution of higher education or Tribal photo ID. If you do not have a photo ID, you can sign a personal identification affidavit.[2]
Poll times
- See also: State Poll Opening and Closing Times
In South Dakota, all polls will be open from 7:00 am to 7:00 pm. Any voter at the polling place prior to 7:00 pm is allowed to cast a ballot.[3][4]
Absentee voting
Eligibility
All voters are eligible to vote absentee in South Dakota. There are no special eligibility requirements for voting absentee.
Deadlines
To vote absentee, an absentee ballot application must be received by the election office by 3pm on election day. A returned absentee ballot must then be received by the elections office by close of polls on election day.
Military and overseas voting
For full details, visit the Federal Voting Assistance Program here.
Early voting
South Dakota is one of 33 states that has early voting with no specific requirements as to who can vote early. Early voting begins as soon as ballots are made available and ends on the day prior to election day.
