Elections & Voting in South Dakota

Election day is November 5

September 20 Absentee voting begins
October 21 Voter registration deadline
November 4 Deadline request an absentee ballot
November 5 Deadline to return an absentee ballot by mail
November 5 General Election

To register to vote in South Dakota, you must:

Be a United States citizen
Reside in South Dakota
Be at least 18 years old on or before the next election
Not currently serving a sentence for a felony conviction
Not be judged mentally incompetent by a court

* Under South Dakota Codified Law § 12-4-18, 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 entire sentence (must complete probation, parole, restitution; including all fines and fees). A person who receives a suspended imposition of sentence does not lose the right to vote

How to register to vote:

Print the Voter Registration Form, fill-out the form, sign it and then submit it to your County Auditor. Your Voter Registration form with an original signature must be received by the auditor 15 days before any election if you wish to vote in that election. South Dakota law does not allow you to submit your voter registration form via fax or email. South Dakota does not allow same-day voter registration.

You may also register to vote at the following locations:

County auditor’s office
Driver’s license station (when you are renewing or applying for a driver’s license you may also register to vote on the driver’s license application)
City Finance Office
Public assistance agencies providing food stamps, TANF or WIC
Department of Human Services offices which provide assistance to the disabled
Military recruitment offices

Voter ID Requirements

All voters who appear at a polling place must show proof of identification. Approved forms of photo identification include:

A South Dakota driver’s license or nondriver identification card
A passport or an identification card, including a picture, issued by an agency of the United States government
A tribal identification card, including a picture
A current student identification card, including a picture, issued by a high school or an accredited institution of higher education, including a university, college, or technical school, located within the State of South Dakota.

If a voter is not able to present a form of personal identification, the voter may complete an affidavit in lieu of the personal identification.

Visit VoteRiders for more information on voter ID requirements in South Dakota.

Absentee Voting

Any registered South Dakota voter can request an absentee ballot and vote by mail. Absentee ballots can be requested in person at a local election office or by printing out a form and mailing it in to your County Election Official. Absentee ballots cannot be requested online.

In South Dakota, the County Election Official must receive your application for absentee ballot no later than 5 p.m. the day before the election. Your voted ballot MUST be received by your County Election Official on Election Day in enough time to deliver your ballot to your voting precinct before the polls close.

Early In-Person Voting

Early Voting begins 46 days before the election (in-person absentee voting) and ends the day before Election Day.

Resources

Tribes in South Dakota

Federally recognized tribes

Yankton Sioux Tribe of South Dakota
Rosebud Sioux Tribe of the Rosebud Indian Reservation
Sisseton-Wahpeton Oyate of the Lake Traverse Reservation
Oglala Sioux Tribe
Lower Brule Sioux Tribe of the Lower Brule Reservation
Crow Creek Sioux Tribe of the Crow Creek Reservation
Flandreau Santee Sioux Tribe of South Dakota
Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe of the Cheyenne River Reservation

State recognized tribes

None

Native Vote Coordinator

Major Party Contact Information

Democrat
Chair, Shane Merrill
www.sddp.org

Republican
Chair, John Wiik
www.sdgop.com