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 for election agencies.
Click here for more information about election administration in the state, including voter list maintenance policies, provisional ballot rules, post-election auditing practices, and additional election policy context.
For information on elections happening this year, click here.
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[edit]
Eligibility and registration details[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, 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.[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, city finance offices, driver's license stations, Department of Human Services offices, certain public assistance agencies, or military recruitment offices.[1]
In-person voting[edit]
Poll times[edit]
- See also: State poll opening and closing 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.[2]
Voter identification[edit]
- See also: Voter identification laws by state
South Dakota requires voters to present photo identification while voting.[3]
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.[3]
Early voting[edit]
- 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.
Forty-seven states and the District of Columbia permit no-excuse early voting.
Absentee/mail-in voting[edit]
- See also: Absentee/mail-in voting
All voters are eligible for absentee/mail-in voting in South Dakota and there are no special eligibility requirements.[5][6]
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.[5]
Local election officials[edit]
Do you need information about elections in your area? Are you looking for your local election official? Click here to visit the U.S. Vote Foundation and use their election official lookup tool. |
Voting rules for people convicted of a felony[edit]
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] The loss of voting rights continues as long as the person is on parole or probation.[8]
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.[9]
Contact information[edit]
Election agencies[edit]
- See also: State election agencies
Individuals seeking additional information about election administration 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: elections@state.sd.us
- 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: clearinghouse@eac.gov
- Website: https://www.eac.gov
Explore election legislation with Ballotpedia[edit]
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Ballotpedia's election coverage[edit]
- United States Senate Democratic Party primaries, 2026
- United States House Democratic Party primaries, 2026
- Democratic Party gubernatorial primaries, 2026
- Democratic Party Secretary of State primaries, 2026
- Democratic Party Attorney General primaries, 2026
- State legislative Democratic primaries, 2026
- United States Senate Republican Party primaries, 2026
- United States House Republican Party primaries, 2026
- Republican Party gubernatorial primaries, 2026
- Republican Party Secretary of State primaries, 2026
- Republican Party Attorney General primaries, 2026
- State legislative Republican primaries, 2026
See also[edit]
- State of Election Administration Legislation Reports
- Voter ID in South Dakota
- Election administration in South Dakota
- Ballot access requirements for political candidates in South Dakota
Elections in South Dakota[edit]
- South Dakota elections, 2025
- 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[edit]
Footnotes[edit]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 South Dakota Secretary of State, “Register to Vote, Update Voter Registration or Cancel Voter Registration,” accessed October 30, 2025
- ↑ South Dakota Secretary of State, “General Voting Information,” accessed October 30, 2025
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 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.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 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
- ↑ South Dakota Secretary of State, "Felony Convictions," accessed October 30, 2025
- ↑ U.S. Department of Justice, "Guide to State Voting Rules That Apply After a Criminal Conviction," accessed October 30, 2025
- ↑ National Conference of State Legislatures, "Felon Voting Rights," October 30, 2025
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