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Democratic Party primaries in South Dakota, 2020
- Primary date: June 2
- Primary type: Closed (Republican, Libertarian, and Constitution parties); semi-closed (Democratic)
- Registration deadline(s): May 18
- Online registration: No
- Same-day registration: No
- Early voting starts: April 17
- Absentee/mail voting deadline(s): June 2 (received)
- Voter ID: Photo ID
- Poll times: 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
2022 →
← 2018
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| Democratic Party primaries, 2020 |
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| Primary Date |
| June 2, 2020 |
| Primary Runoff Date |
| N/A |
| Federal elections |
| Democratic primary for U.S. Senate |
| Democratic primaries for U.S. House |
| State party |
| Democratic Party of South Dakota |
| State political party revenue |
This page focuses on the Democratic primaries that took place in South Dakota on June 2, 2020. Click here for more information about the Republican primaries.
Note that the dates and terms of participation for presidential preference primaries and caucuses sometimes differ from those that apply to primaries for state-level and other federal offices, which are the subject of this article. For more information on this state's presidential nomination process, click here.
Federal elections
U.S. Senate
The 2020 U.S. Senate elections in South Dakota took place on November 3, 2020. Voters elected one candidate to serve in the U.S. Senate.
Democratic primary candidates
This primary was canceled and this candidate advanced:
Did not make the ballot:
= candidate completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey
U.S. House
The 2020 U.S. House of Representatives elections in South Dakota took place on November 3, 2020. Voters elected one candidate to serve in the U.S. House from the state's at-large congressional district.
Democratic primary candidates
The Democratic Party primary was canceled.
Did not make the ballot:
State elections
State Senate
South Dakota State Senate elections, 2020 |
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| Office | Democratic |
 Republican |
Other |
| District 1 |
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| District 2 |
The Democratic primary was canceled. |
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| District 3 |
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| District 4 |
The Democratic primary was canceled. |
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| District 5 |
The Democratic primary was canceled. |
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| District 6 |
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| District 7 |
The Democratic primary was canceled. |
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| District 8 |
The Democratic primary was canceled. |
Did not make the ballot: |
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| District 9 |
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| District 10 |
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| District 11 |
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| District 12 |
Did not make the ballot: |
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| District 13 |
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| District 14 |
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| District 15 |
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Did not make the ballot: |
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| District 16 |
The Democratic primary was canceled. |
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| District 17 |
Did not make the ballot: |
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| District 18 |
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| District 19 |
The Democratic primary was canceled. |
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| District 20 |
The Democratic primary was canceled. |
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Libertarian Party  Alexander Martin* |
| District 21 |
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| District 22 |
The Democratic primary was canceled. |
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| District 23 |
The Democratic primary was canceled. |
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| District 24 |
The Democratic primary was canceled. |
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| District 25 |
The Democratic primary was canceled. |
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| District 26 |
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| District 27 |
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| District 28 |
The Democratic primary was canceled. |
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| District 29 |
The Democratic primary was canceled. |
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| District 30 |
The Democratic primary was canceled. |
Did not make the ballot: |
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| District 31 |
The Democratic primary was canceled. |
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| District 32 |
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| District 33 |
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| District 34 |
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| District 35 |
The Democratic primary was canceled. |
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State House
South Dakota State House elections, 2020 |
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| Office | Democratic |
Republican |
Other |
| District 1 (2 seats) |
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| District 2 (2 seats) |
The Democratic primary was canceled. |
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| District 3 (2 seats) |
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| District 4 (2 seats) |
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| District 5 (2 seats) |
The Democratic primary was canceled. |
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| District 6 (2 seats) |
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| District 7 (2 seats) |
Doug Post (i) |
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| District 8 (2 seats) |
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| District 9 (2 seats) |
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| District 10 (2 seats) |
Did not make the ballot: |
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| District 11 (2 seats) |
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| District 12 (2 seats) |
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| District 13 (2 seats) |
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| District 14 (2 seats) |
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| District 15 (2 seats) |
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| District 16 (2 seats) |
The Democratic primary was canceled. |
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| District 17 (2 seats) |
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| District 18 (2 seats) |
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| District 19 (2 seats) |
The Democratic primary was canceled. |
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| District 20 (2 seats) |
The Democratic primary was canceled. |
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| District 21 (2 seats) |
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| District 22 (2 seats) |
Did not make the ballot: |
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| District 23 (2 seats) |
The Democratic primary was canceled. |
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| District 24 (2 seats) |
Noel Chicoine |
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| District 25 (2 seats) |
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| District 26A |
The Republican primary was canceled. |
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| District 26B |
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| District 27 (2 seats) |
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| District 28A |
The Republican primary was canceled. |
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| District 28B |
The Democratic primary was canceled. |
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| District 29 (2 seats) |
The Democratic primary was canceled. |
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| District 30 (2 seats) |
The Democratic primary was canceled. |
Did not make the ballot: |
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| District 31 (2 seats) |
Dayle Hammock (i) |
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| District 32 (2 seats) |
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| District 33 (2 seats) |
The Democratic primary was canceled. |
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| District 34 (2 seats) |
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| District 35 (2 seats) |
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State executive offices
One state executive office is up for election in South Dakota in 2020: public utilities commissioner.
Public utilities commissioner
Democratic convention candidates
= candidate completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey
Context of the 2020 elections
South Dakota Party Control: 1992-2025
No Democratic trifectas • Thirty-two years of Republican trifectas
Scroll left and right on the table below to view more years.
| Year | 92 | 93 | 94 | 95 | 96 | 97 | 98 | 99 | 00 | 01 | 02 | 03 | 04 | 05 | 06 | 07 | 08 | 09 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Governor | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R |
| Senate | R | D | D | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R |
| House | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R |
State party overview
- See also: Democratic Party of South Dakota
State political party revenue
State political parties typically deposit revenue in separate state and federal accounts in order to comply with state and federal campaign finance laws.
The Democratic Party and the Republican Party maintain state affiliates in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and select U.S. territories. The following map displays total state political party revenue per capita for the Democratic state party affiliates.
Voter information
How the primary works
A primary election is an election in which registered voters select a candidate that they believe should be a political party's candidate for elected office to run in the general election. They are also used to choose convention delegates and party leaders. Primaries are state-level and local-level elections that take place prior to a general election. South Dakota law allows parties to choose whether to let unaffiliated voters vote in their elections. For more information on recognized political parties in South Dakota and their primary policies, see here.[1]
For information about which offices are nominated via primary election, see this article.
Poll times
In South Dakota, all polls are open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. local time. South Dakota is divided between Central and Mountain time zones. Anyone in line when the polls close must be allowed to vote.[2]
Registration requirements
- Check your voter registration status here.
To register to vote in South Dakota, an applicant must be a citizen of the United States, a resident of South Dakota, at least 18 years old by the day of the next election, not currently serving a sentence for a felony conviction, and not be judged mentally incompetent by a court of law.[3]
The deadline to register to vote is 15 days before the next election. To register, an applicant may submit a voter registration form to the county auditor. Prospective voters can also register in person at the county auditor's office, city finance offices, driver's license stations, Department of Human Services offices, certain public assistance agencies, or military recruitment offices.[3]
Automatic registration
- See also: Automatic voter registration
South Dakota does not practice automatic voter registration.[4]
Online registration
- See also: Online voter registration
South Dakota does not permit online voter registration.
Same-day registration
- See also: Same-day voter registration
South Dakota does not allow same-day voter registration.[5]
Residency requirements
To register to vote in South Dakota, you must be a resident of the state "for at least thirty consecutive days."[6][3]
Verification of citizenship
South Dakota does not require proof of citizenship for voter registration. An individual applying to register to vote must attest that they are a U.S. citizen under penalty of perjury.[7]
All 49 states with voter registration systems require applicants to declare that they are U.S. citizens in order to register to vote in state and federal elections, under penalty of perjury or other punishment.[8] Seven states — Alabama, Arizona, Georgia, Kansas, Louisiana, New Hampshire, and Wyoming — have laws requiring verification of citizenship at the time of voter registration, whether in effect or not. One state, Ohio, requires proof of citizenship only when registering to vote at a Bureau of Motor Vehicles facility. In three states — California, Maryland, and Vermont — at least one local jurisdiction allows noncitizens to vote in some local elections. Noncitizens registering to vote in those elections must complete a voter registration application provided by the local jurisdiction and are not eligible to register as state or federal voters.
Verifying your registration
The South Dakota Secretary of State’s office allows residents to check their voter registration status online by visiting the Voter Information Portal.
Voter ID requirements
South Dakota requires voters to present photo identification while voting.[9]
The following were accepted forms of identification as of October 2025. Click here for the South Dakota Secretary of State's page on accepted ID to ensure you have the most current information.
| “ |
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If a voter does not have a photo ID, he or she can sign a personal identification affidavit. The voter will then be given a regular ballot.[9]
Early voting
South Dakota permits early voting. Learn more by visiting this website.
Early voting permits citizens to cast ballots in person at a polling place prior to an election. In states that permit no-excuse early voting, a voter does not have to provide an excuse for being unable to vote on Election Day. States that allow voters to cast no-excuse absentee/mail-in ballots in person are counted as no-excuse early voting states.
Forty-seven states and the District of Columbia permit no-excuse early voting.
Absentee voting
All voters are eligible for absentee/mail-in voting in South Dakota and there are no special eligibility requirements.[11][12]
An absentee/mail-in ballot application must be received by county election officials before 5 p.m. or the close of business the day before the election, whichever is later. A completed absentee/mail-in ballot must then be received by election officials by the close of polls on Election Day.[11]
Pivot Counties
- See also: Pivot Counties by state
Five of 66 South Dakota counties—7.6 percent—are Pivot Counties. Pivot Counties are counties that voted for Barack Obama (D) in 2008 and 2012 and for Donald Trump (R) in 2016. Altogether, the nation had 206 Pivot Counties, with most being concentrated in upper midwestern and northeastern states.
| Counties won by Trump in 2016 and Obama in 2012 and 2008 | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| County | Trump margin of victory in 2016 | Obama margin of victory in 2012 | Obama margin of victory in 2008 | ||||
| Corson County, South Dakota | 4.51% | 11.08% | 21.48% | ||||
| Day County, South Dakota | 23.77% | 6.16% | 12.89% | ||||
| Marshall County, South Dakota | 15.51% | 8.66% | 16.48% | ||||
| Roberts County, South Dakota | 15.53% | 9.84% | 19.64% | ||||
| Ziebach County, South Dakota | 1.96% | 16.43% | 27.16% | ||||
In the 2016 presidential election, Donald Trump (R) won South Dakota with 61.5 percent of the vote. Hillary Clinton (D) received 31.7 percent. In presidential elections between 1900 and 2016, South Dakota cast votes for the winning presidential candidate 63.3 percent of the time. In that same time frame, South Dakota supported Republican candidates for president more often than Democratic candidates, 86.7 to 10.0 percent. The state favored Republicans in every presidential election between 2000 and 2016.
Presidential results by legislative district
The following table details results of the 2012 and 2016 presidential elections by state House districts in South Dakota. Click [show] to expand the table. The "Obama," "Romney," "Clinton," and "Trump" columns describe the percent of the vote each presidential candidate received in the district. The "2012 Margin" and "2016 Margin" columns describe the margin of victory between the two presidential candidates in those years. The "Party Control" column notes which party held that seat heading into the 2018 general election. Data on the results of the 2012 and 2016 presidential elections broken down by state legislative districts was compiled by Daily Kos.[13][14]
| In 2012, Barack Obama (D) won six out of 37 state House districts in South Dakota with an average margin of victory of 19.9 points. In 2016, Hillary Clinton (D) won four out of 37 state House districts in South Dakota with an average margin of victory of 12.7 points. Clinton won one district controlled by a Republican heading into the 2018 elections. |
| In 2012, Mitt Romney (R) won 31 out of 37 state House districts in South Dakota with an average margin of victory of 22.4 points. In 2016, Donald Trump (R) won 33 out of 37 state House districts in South Dakota with an average margin of victory of 32.5 points. Trump won five districts controlled by Democrats heading into the 2018 elections. |
| 2016 presidential results by state House district | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| District | Obama | Romney | 2012 Margin | Clinton | Trump | 2016 Margin | Party Control |
| 1 | 51.58% | 46.48% | D+5.1 | 37.24% | 57.24% | R+20 | D |
| 2 | 41.78% | 55.63% | R+13.8 | 28.47% | 65.46% | R+37 | R |
| 3 | 44.43% | 52.39% | R+8 | 33.93% | 59.00% | R+25.1 | R |
| 4 | 40.82% | 56.54% | R+15.7 | 27.54% | 66.02% | R+38.5 | R |
| 5 | 39.90% | 58.16% | R+18.3 | 27.89% | 65.65% | R+37.8 | R |
| 6 | 38.47% | 59.68% | R+21.2 | 30.89% | 61.65% | R+30.8 | R |
| 7 | 50.40% | 46.81% | D+3.6 | 43.62% | 47.39% | R+3.8 | D |
| 8 | 43.39% | 54.25% | R+10.9 | 32.58% | 61.26% | R+28.7 | R |
| 9 | 44.78% | 52.69% | R+7.9 | 35.24% | 57.43% | R+22.2 | R |
| 10 | 42.73% | 55.52% | R+12.8 | 34.89% | 58.46% | R+23.6 | R |
| 11 | 42.02% | 56.19% | R+14.2 | 36.63% | 56.47% | R+19.8 | R |
| 12 | 43.37% | 54.72% | R+11.3 | 40.26% | 52.71% | R+12.4 | R |
| 13 | 42.42% | 55.91% | R+13.5 | 42.90% | 50.51% | R+7.6 | R |
| 14 | 45.37% | 53.02% | R+7.7 | 42.55% | 50.96% | R+8.4 | R |
| 15 | 60.76% | 36.19% | D+24.6 | 50.37% | 40.21% | D+10.2 | D |
| 16 | 37.11% | 61.13% | R+24 | 28.21% | 66.43% | R+38.2 | R |
| 17 | 46.23% | 51.48% | R+5.3 | 38.71% | 54.73% | R+16 | D |
| 18 | 42.37% | 55.09% | R+12.7 | 34.30% | 58.81% | R+24.5 | R |
| 19 | 30.80% | 67.46% | R+36.7 | 21.26% | 73.69% | R+52.4 | R |
| 20 | 39.03% | 58.77% | R+19.7 | 28.66% | 65.65% | R+37 | R |
| 21 | 32.69% | 65.58% | R+32.9 | 21.75% | 74.28% | R+52.5 | D |
| 22 | 40.25% | 57.55% | R+17.3 | 28.05% | 65.80% | R+37.8 | R |
| 23 | 27.77% | 70.13% | R+42.4 | 17.94% | 77.32% | R+59.4 | R |
| 24 | 31.98% | 66.03% | R+34.1 | 26.93% | 66.80% | R+39.9 | R |
| 25 | 39.10% | 58.97% | R+19.9 | 31.43% | 61.88% | R+30.4 | D |
| 26A | 71.98% | 26.91% | D+45.1 | 62.07% | 31.66% | D+30.4 | D |
| 26B | 38.65% | 59.41% | R+20.8 | 27.43% | 66.49% | R+39.1 | R |
| 27 | 59.61% | 39.08% | D+20.5 | 51.30% | 43.71% | D+7.6 | R |
| 28A | 59.49% | 38.69% | D+20.8 | 48.66% | 46.00% | D+2.7 | D |
| 28B | 21.01% | 75.69% | R+54.7 | 13.67% | 79.93% | R+66.3 | R |
| 29 | 26.65% | 70.23% | R+43.6 | 18.53% | 73.59% | R+55.1 | R |
| 30 | 28.42% | 68.70% | R+40.3 | 22.14% | 71.69% | R+49.5 | R |
| 31 | 34.98% | 61.85% | R+26.9 | 28.34% | 62.58% | R+34.2 | R |
| 32 | 37.98% | 59.43% | R+21.5 | 33.81% | 56.85% | R+23 | R |
| 33 | 32.89% | 64.91% | R+32 | 28.15% | 64.55% | R+36.4 | R |
| 34 | 34.28% | 63.64% | R+29.4 | 32.46% | 59.35% | R+26.9 | R |
| 35 | 35.21% | 61.55% | R+26.3 | 26.34% | 64.40% | R+38.1 | R |
| Total | 39.87% | 57.89% | R+18 | 31.74% | 61.53% | R+29.8 | - |
| Source: Daily Kos | |||||||
See also
2020 Elections
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ South Dakota Legislature Legislative Research Council, "S.D. Codified Laws Ann. § 12–6–26," accessed October 30, 2025
- ↑ South Dakota Secretary of State, “General Voting Information,” accessed October 30, 2025
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 South Dakota Secretary of State, “Register to Vote, Update Voter Registration or Cancel Voter Registration,” accessed October 30, 2025
- ↑ NCSL, "Automatic Voter Registration," accessed October 30, 2025
- ↑ NCSL, "Same-Day Voter Registration," accessed October 30, 2025
- ↑ 2025 South Dakota Legislature, "HB 1066," accessed October 30, 2025
- ↑ South Dakota Secretary of State, "South Dakota Voter Registration Form," accessed October 30, 2025
- ↑ Under federal law, the national mail voter registration application (a version of which is in use in all states with voter registration systems) requires applicants to indicate that they are U.S. citizens in order to complete an application to vote in state or federal elections, but does not require voters to provide documentary proof of citizenship. According to the U.S. Department of Justice, the application "may require only the minimum amount of information necessary to prevent duplicate voter registrations and permit State officials both to determine the eligibility of the applicant to vote and to administer the voting process."
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 South Dakota Secretary of State, "General Voting Information," accessed October 30, 2025
- ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 South Dakota Secretary of State, "Voting by Absentee Ballot," accessed October 30, 2025
- ↑ South Dakota Legislature Legislative Research Council, "S.D. Codified Laws Ann. §12-19-1," accessed October 30, 2025
- ↑ Daily Kos, "Daily Kos Elections' statewide election results by congressional and legislative districts," July 9, 2013
- ↑ Daily Kos, "Daily Kos Elections' 2016 presidential results for congressional and legislative districts," February 6, 2017
