South Dakota state legislative Republican primaries, 2018

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2018 South Dakota
State Legislature elections
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GeneralNovember 6, 2018
PrimaryJune 5, 2018
2018 elections
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.

HIGHLIGHTS
  • As of December 2017, South Dakota was one of 26 Republican trifectas. A state government trifecta is a term used to describe a single-party government where one political party holds the governor's office and a majority in both chambers of the state legislature. To find out more about state government trifectas, click here.

  • Incumbents who did not advance to the general election[edit]

    Retiring incumbents[edit]

    Four Republican state Senate incumbents did not seek re-election.

    Fifteen Republican state House incumbents did not seek re-election in 2018:

    Competitiveness[edit]

    See also: 2018 primary election competitiveness in state and federal government and South Dakota state legislative Democratic primaries, 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%

    Partisan control[edit]

    The tables below show the partisan breakdowns of the South Dakota House of Representatives and the South Dakota State Senate as of June 2018:

    South Dakota House of Representatives[edit]

    Party As of June 2018
         Democratic Party 10
         Republican Party 59
         Vacancies 1
    Total 70

    South Dakota State Senate[edit]

    Party As of June 2018
         Democratic Party 6
         Republican Party 28
         Vacancies 1
    Total 35

    Voter information[edit]

    How the primary works[edit]

    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][2]

    For information about which offices are nominated via primary election, see this article.

    Poll times[edit]

    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.[3]


    Registration requirements[edit]

    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.[4]

    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.[4]

    Automatic registration[edit]

    South Dakota does not practice automatic voter registration.[5]


    Online registration[edit]

    See also: Online voter registration

    South Dakota does not permit online voter registration.

    Same-day registration[edit]

    South Dakota does not allow same-day voter registration.[5]

    Residency requirements[edit]

    To register to vote in South Dakota, you must be a resident of the state.[4]

    Verification of citizenship[edit]

    See also: Laws permitting noncitizens to vote in the United States

    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.

    Verifying your registration[edit]

    The South Dakota Secretary of State’s office allows residents to check their voter registration status online by visiting this website.

    Voter ID requirements[edit]

    South Dakota requires voters to present photo identification while voting.[6]

    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.[6]

    Early voting[edit]

    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 voting[edit]

    All voters are eligible to vote absentee in South Dakota. There are no special eligibility requirements for voting absentee.[7][8]

    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.[9]


    See also[edit]

    Footnotes[edit]


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