From Ballotpedia | 2018 South Dakota State Legislature elections | |
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| General | November 6, 2018 |
| Primary | June 5, 2018 |
| 2018 elections | |
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| Choose a chamber below: | |
The Republican primary elections for the seats in the South Dakota State Senate and the South Dakota House of Representatives were on June 5, 2018. For information about the Democratic primary elections in South Dakota, click here.
The general election was on November 6, 2018. The candidate filing deadline was March 27, 2018. In the state Senate, all 35 seats were up for election. In the state House, all 70 seats were up for election.
Four Republican state Senate incumbents did not seek re-election.
Fifteen Republican state House incumbents did not seek re-election in 2018:
There were 28 open seats in 2018, which was fewer than the 43 open seats in 2016 and the 33 open seats in 2014. The 7 contested Democratic primaries was up from 3 in 2016 and 4 in 2016. The 17 contested Republican primaries was up from 16 in 2016 and equal to the number of contestested Republican primaries in 2014. The 225 candidates running was up from 179 in 2016 and 195 in 2014.
| Year | Total seats | Open seats | Total candidates | Democratic primaries contested | Republican primaries contested | Total contested | Incumbents contested in primaries | Total incumbents contested in primaries |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | 105 | 28 | 225 | 7 | 17 | 13.6% | 20 | 26.0% |
| 2016 | 105 | 43 | 179 | 3 | 16 | 9.0% | 18 | 29.0% |
| 2014 | 105 | 33 | 195 | 4 | 17 | 11.9% | 17 | 23.6% |
The tables below show the partisan breakdowns of the South Dakota House of Representatives and the South Dakota State Senate as of June 2018:
| Party | As of June 2018 | |
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| Democratic Party | 10 | |
| Republican Party | 59 | |
| Vacancies | 1 | |
| Total | 70 | |
| Party | As of June 2018 | |
|---|---|---|
| Democratic Party | 6 | |
| Republican Party | 28 | |
| Vacancies | 1 | |
| Total | 35 | |
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.
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]
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]
South Dakota does not practice automatic voter registration.[4]
South Dakota does not permit online voter registration.
South Dakota does not allow same-day voter registration.[5]
To register to vote in South Dakota, you must be a resident of the state "for at least thirty consecutive days."[6][3]
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.
The South Dakota Secretary of State’s office allows residents to check their voter registration status online by visiting the Voter Information Portal.
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]
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.
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]
Categories: [South Dakota elections, 2018] [State legislative primary elections, 2018] [Republican state legislative primary elections, 2018]