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[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, 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[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. 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[edit]

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[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. Some states allow voters to cast absentee ballots in person.

As of December 2023, 47 states and the District of Columbia permitted no-excuse early voting.^[4]

Absentee/mail-in voting[edit]

See also: Absentee/mail-in voting

All voters are eligible to vote absentee in South Dakota. There are no special eligibility requirements for voting absentee.^[5]^[6]

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.^[7]

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]

See also: Voting rights for convicted felons

In South Dakota, "a person convicted of a felony in either federal or state court on or after July 1, 2012 loses the right to vote. A person so disqualified becomes eligible to register to vote upon completion of his or her entire sentence (must complete probation, parole and restitution)," according to the South Dakota Secretary of State's office.^[8] Click here for information about felony convictions on or before June 30, 2012.

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]

Election agencies[edit]

Seal of the U.S. Election Assistance Commission

See also: State election agencies

Individuals seeking additional information about voting provisions in South Dakota can contact the following state and federal agencies.

South Dakota Secretary of State

Capitol Building

500 East Capitol Avenue, Suite 204

Pierre, South Dakota 57501-5070

Telephone: 605-773-3537

Email: elections@state.sd.us

U.S. Election Assistance Commission

633 3rd Street NW, Suite 200

Washington, DC 20001

Telephone: 301-563-3919

Toll free: 1-866-747-1471

Ballotpedia's Election Administration Legislation Tracker[edit]

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.

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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[edit]

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.

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Ballotpedia's election coverage[edit]

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External links[edit]

Footnotes[edit]

[SDSoS-1] 1.0 ^1.1 South Dakota Secretary of State, “Register to Vote, Update Voter Registration or Cancel Voter Registration,” accessed October 5, 2019

[2] South Dakota Secretary of State, “General Voting Information,” accessed October 17, 2019

[gen-3] 3.0 ^3.1 South Dakota Secretary of State, "General Voting Information," accessed October 7, 2019

[ncslabsentee-4] National Conference of State Legislatures, "Early In-Person Voting," March 23, 2023

[absenteeSD-5] South Dakota Secretary of State, "Voting by Absentee Ballot," accessed December 16, 2013

[6] National Conference of State Legislatures, "Absentee and Early Voting," accessed December 16, 2013

[7] Long Distance Voter, "South Dakota Absentee Ballot Guide," accessed December 16, 2013

[8] South Dakota Secretary of State, "Elections and Voting," accessed December 12, 2019

[ncsl-9] National Conference of State Legislatures, "Felon Voting Rights," April 6, 2023

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