South Dakota state executive official elections, 2020
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| South Dakota state executive official elections |
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| Election details |
| Filing deadline: Pending |
| General: November 3, 2020 |
| How to vote |
| Poll times: 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Voting in South Dakota |
| Ballotpedia analysis |
| Federal and state primary competitiveness State executive elections in 2020 Impact of term limits in 2020 State government trifectas and triplexes |
| Other state executive elections |
One state executive office was up for election in South Dakota in 2020:
In South Dakota, political parties nominate state executive candidates at their conventions instead of holding a primary. The only office this does not apply to is governor. The Democratic Party state convention was held on June 20.[1] The Republican Party state convention was held from June 18 to June 20.[2] The Libertarian Party held its state convention on May 9.
Candidates and election results
Public Utilities Commissioner
General election
General election for South Dakota Public Utilities Commission
Incumbent Gary Hanson defeated Remi Bald Eagle and Devin Saxon in the general election for South Dakota Public Utilities Commission on November 3, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Gary Hanson (R) | 68.0 | 272,378 |
 | Remi Bald Eagle (D)  | 26.8 | 107,494 | |
| Devin Saxon (L) | 5.1 | 20,622 | ||
| Total votes: 400,494 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Democratic convention
Democratic convention for South Dakota Public Utilities Commission
Remi Bald Eagle advanced from the Democratic convention for South Dakota Public Utilities Commission on June 20, 2020.
Candidate | ||
| ✔ | | Remi Bald Eagle (D) |
| ||||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Republican convention
Republican convention for South Dakota Public Utilities Commission
Incumbent Gary Hanson advanced from the Republican convention for South Dakota Public Utilities Commission on June 20, 2020.
Candidate | ||
| ✔ | | Gary Hanson (R) |
| ||||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Libertarian convention
Libertarian convention for South Dakota Public Utilities Commission
Devin Saxon advanced from the Libertarian convention for South Dakota Public Utilities Commission on May 9, 2020.
Candidate | ||
| ✔ | Devin Saxon (L) | |
| ||||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Context of the 2020 elections
Party control in South Dakota
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 |
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.[3]
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.[4]
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.[5]
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.[5]
Automatic registration
- See also: Automatic voter registration
South Dakota does not practice automatic voter registration.[6]
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.[7]
Residency requirements
To register to vote in South Dakota, you must be a resident of the state "for at least thirty consecutive days."[8][5]
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.[9]
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.[10] 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.[11]
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.[11]
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.[13][14]
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.[13]
Past elections
2018
The following elections took place in 2018:
- South Dakota Attorney General election, 2018
- South Dakota Secretary of State election, 2018
- South Dakota Treasurer election, 2018
- South Dakota Auditor election, 2018
- South Dakota Public Lands Commissioner election, 2018
- South Dakota gubernatorial and lieutenant gubernatorial election, 2018
- South Dakota state executive official elections, 2018
- South Dakota gubernatorial and lieutenant gubernatorial election, 2018 (June 5 Republican primary)
- South Dakota gubernatorial and lieutenant gubernatorial election, 2018 (June 5 Democratic primary)
- South Dakota Public Utilities Commission election, 2018
See also
| South Dakota | State Executive Elections | News and Analysis |
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External links
Footnotes
- ↑ SD Dems, "2020 State Convention," accessed April 27, 2020
- ↑ South Dakota Republican Party, "South Dakota Republican Party 2020 State Convention," accessed April 27, 2020
- ↑ 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
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 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."
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 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.
- ↑ 13.0 13.1 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
