Voting in South Dakota
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The policies governing voter participation are enacted and enforced primarily at the state level. These policies, which include voter identification requirements, early voting provisions, online voter registration systems, and more, dictate the conditions under which people cast their ballots in their respective states.
This article includes the following information about voting policies in South Dakota:
- Voter registration details, including deadlines and eligibility requirements.
- In-person voting details, including identification requirements, poll times, and early voting provisions.
- Absentee/mail-in voting deadlines and rules.
- Details about voting rules for people convicted of a felony.
- Contact information election agencies.
- Summaries of noteworthy policy-related events.
See Election administration in South Dakota for more additional information about election administration in the state, including voter list maintenance policies, provisional ballot rules, and post-election auditing practices.
Do you have questions about your elections? Looking for information about your local election official? Click here to use U.S. Vote Foundation’s election official lookup tool.
Voter registration
The table below displays voter registration information specific to South Dakota's 2024 election cycle.
Eligibility and registration details
- 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, and at least 18 years old by the day of the next election.[1]
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, driver's license stations, certain public assistance agencies, or military recruitment offices.[1]
In-person voting
The table below displays in-person voting information specific to South Dakota's 2024 election cycle.
Poll times
- See also: State poll opening and closing times
In South Dakota, all polls are open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. If the polls close while you are still in line, you will be permitted to vote. South Dakota is divided between Central and Mountain time zones.[2]
Voter identification
- See also: Voter identification laws by state
South Dakota requires voters to present photo identification while voting.[3]
Voters can present the following forms of identification:
- South Dakota driver's license or nondriver ID card
- U.S. government photo ID
- U.S. passport
- U.S. Armed Forces ID
- Current student photo identification card from a South Dakota high school or South Dakota accredited institution of higher education
- Tribal photo ID
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.[3]
Early voting
- See also: 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.
As of February 2024, 47 states and the District of Columbia permitted no-excuse early voting.
Absentee/mail-in voting
- See also: Absentee/mail-in voting
The table below displays absentee voting information specific to South Dakota's 2024 election cycle.
All voters are eligible to vote absentee in South Dakota. There are no special eligibility requirements for voting absentee.[4][5]
To vote absentee, an absentee ballot application must be received by county election officials no later than 5 p.m. the day before the election. A completed absentee ballot must then be received by election officials by the close of polls on Election Day.[6]
Local election officials
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Voting rules for people convicted of a felony
According to the South Dakota Secretary of State's office, "a person currently serving a felony conviction in either federal or state court shall be removed from the voter registration records. A person so disqualified becomes eligible to register to vote upon completion of his or her sentence. A person who receives a suspended imposition of sentence does not lose the right to vote."[7]
Voting rights for people convicted of a felony vary from state to state. In the majority of states, people convicted of a felony cannot vote while they are incarcerated but may regain the right to vote upon release from prison or at some point thereafter.[8]
Election administration agencies
Election agencies
- See also: State election agencies
Individuals seeking additional information about voting provisions in South Dakota can contact the following local, state, and federal agencies.
South Dakota County Auditors
South Dakota Secretary of State
- Capitol Building
- 500 East Capitol Avenue, Suite 204
- Pierre, South Dakota 57501-5070
- Phone: 605-773-3537
- Fax: 605-773-6580
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: https://sdsos.gov/elections-voting/default.aspx
U.S. Election Assistance Commission
- 633 3rd Street NW, Suite 200
- Washington, DC 20001
- Phone: 301-563-3919
- Toll free: 1-866-747-1471
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: https://www.eac.gov
Ballotpedia's Election Administration Legislation Tracker
State election laws are changing. Keeping track of the latest developments in all 50 states can seem like an impossible job.
Here's the solution: Ballotpedia's Election Administration Legislation Tracker.
Ballotpedia's Election Administration Tracker sets the industry standard for ease of use, flexibility, and raw power. But that's just the beginning of what it can do:
- Ballotpedia's election experts provide daily updates on bills and other relevant political developments
- We translate complex bill text into easy-to-understand summaries written in everyday language
- And because it's from Ballotpedia, our Tracker is guaranteed to be neutral, unbiased, and nonpartisan
The Ballot Bulletin
The Ballot Bulletin is a weekly email that delivers the latest updates on election policy. The Ballot Bulletin tracks developments in election policy around the country, including legislative activity, big-picture trends, and recent news. Each email contains in-depth data from our Election Administration Legislation Tracker. You'll also be able to track relevant legislation, with links to and summaries of the bills themselves.
Recent issues
Click below to view recent issues of The Ballot Bulletin.
- The Ballot Bulletin: November 22, 2024
- The Ballot Bulletin: November 15, 2024
- The Ballot Bulletin: November 1, 2024
- The Ballot Bulletin: October 25, 2024
- The Ballot Bulletin: October 18, 2024
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Ballotpedia's election coverage
- United States Senate Democratic Party primaries, 2024
- United States House Democratic Party primaries, 2024
- Democratic Party gubernatorial primaries, 2024
- Democratic Party Secretary of State primaries, 2024
- Democratic Party Attorney General primaries, 2024
- State legislative Democratic primaries, 2024
- United States Senate Republican Party primaries, 2024
- United States House Republican Party primaries, 2024
- Republican Party gubernatorial primaries, 2024
- Republican Party Secretary of State primaries, 2024
- Republican Party Attorney General primaries, 2024
- State legislative Republican primaries, 2024
See also
- 2024 election dates and deadlines
- Voter ID in South Dakota
- Election administration in South Dakota
- Ballot access requirements for political candidates in South Dakota
Elections in South Dakota
- South Dakota elections, 2024
- South Dakota elections, 2023
- South Dakota elections, 2022
- South Dakota elections, 2021
- South Dakota elections, 2020
- South Dakota elections, 2019
- South Dakota elections, 2018
- South Dakota elections, 2017
- South Dakota elections, 2016
- South Dakota elections, 2015
- South Dakota elections, 2014
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 South Dakota Secretary of State, “Register to Vote, Update Voter Registration or Cancel Voter Registration,” accessed July 23, 2024
- ↑ South Dakota Secretary of State, “General Voting Information,” accessed July 23, 2024
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 South Dakota Secretary of State, "General Voting Information," accessed July 23, 2024
- ↑ South Dakota Secretary of State, "Voting by Absentee Ballot," accessed July 24, 2024
- ↑ National Conference of State Legislatures, "Absentee and Early Voting," accessed July 24, 2024
- ↑ Long Distance Voter, "South Dakota Absentee Ballot Guide," accessed July 24, 2024
- ↑ South Dakota Secretary of State, "Felony Convictions," accessed July 23, 2024
- ↑ National Conference of State Legislatures, "Felon Voting Rights," April 6, 2023
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