South Dakota

Election Day: On Election Day, polls are open from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. local time (that is, either Central or Mountain time, depending on the part of the state). Polls must stay open until the last person in line at 7:00 p.m. has voted. See the South Dakota Secretary of State’s 2024 Election Calendar.

Most absentee ballot applications are due on the day before the election by 5 p.m. local time, but it is prudent to send the application earlier to allow for mailing time, or to vote absentee in person if time is short. Only in case of confinement due to sickness or disability, a voter may apply for and obtain an absentee ballot by authorized messenger and may submit a request for that purpose until 3 p.m. on Election Day.

Voters can find their assigned polling place by entering their name into the state Voter Registration Portal exactly as it reads on their voter registration form with either their date of birth or residential address. Most voters may cast ballots on Election Day only at the polling place for the precinct where they are registered. 
Voting locations may be more flexible in the small number of Vote Center Counties.

Registration Deadlines

• For registration deadlines, see How to Register below.

How to Check Your Registration: Voters can determine whether they are registered to vote at the following link: Am I Registered?.

You are eligible to vote in South Dakota if you:

• Are a U.S. citizen
• Are at least 18 years old by Election Day
• Have been a state resident for at least 30 days prior to the election

You are NOT eligible to vote in South Dakota if:

• You have been legally declared “mentally incompetent” by a court
• You are currently serving a sentence including incarceration, parole, probation, or extended supervision for a felony conviction

Restorative Requirements

• If you have completed a felony sentence, including any term of incarceration, parole, supervision, period of probation, or you have been pardoned, then you are immediately eligible to register to vote

In South Dakota, in order to register to vote and cast a ballot, you must pay all restitution, fines, or other fees.

You are able to pre-register:

• if you will be 18 by Election Day

How to register 

• To register to vote, the individual must:
  • Be a United States citizen;
  • Maintain residence in South Dakota for at least 30 days before registering. (See the definition of voting residence at S.D.C.L. § 12.1.4.);
  • Be at least 18 years old on or before the next election;
  • Not currently be serving a sentence for a felony conviction (including a suspended sentence of imprisonment if the conviction was before July 1, 2012); and
  • Not be judged mentally incompetent by a court of law.
  • South Dakota residents may register to vote either by mail or at the following locations:
    • County auditor’s office
    • Driver’s license station (when renewing or applying for a driver’s license, the individual 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 disabled persons; and
    • Military recruitment offices. 
    • Voter registration application forms and absentee ballot applications can be downloaded from the Secretary of State’s website, filled out, and mailed to the County Auditor’s office for the voter’s place of residence. 
    • South Dakota resident U.S. citizens who are living overseas or who are living away from home due to military service may be eligible to use federal UOCAVA procedures. See https://www.fvap.gov/south-dakota .

If You Want to Vote Absentee, requests may be made:

• In-Person
• By Mail

Absentee Ballots may be returned:

• In-Person
• By Mail

• Absentee voters may vote absentee in person at the office of the voter’s County Auditor, or registered voters may request, receive, and return absentee ballots by mail starting no sooner than 46 days before Election Day. The County Election Official (County Auditor) must receive the voter’s absentee ballot application by 5:00 p.m. local time (or during regular office hours if that is later) on the day before Election Day, but it is prudent to request and return the ballot several days ahead of Election Day itself.
• Only in case of confinement due to sickness or disability, a voter may apply for and obtain an absentee ballot by authorized messenger, and that type of request may be submitted until 3 p.m. on Election Day.

Voted absentee ballots must be received back by the County Election Official (County Auditor) on or before Election Day in enough time for the election official to deliver the ballot to their voting precinct (or to a Vote Center if applicable) before the polls close at 7 p.m. local time on Election Day. Registered South Dakota voters must return their absentee ballot applications by mail or in person to their County Auditor.

Voter Registration

To register to vote in South Dakota you should provide:

• Your South Dakota Driver’s License Number
• Your South Dakota non-driver ID number
• Last Four Digits of your Social Security Number

If you do not have these IDs, you may provide:

• Last Four Digits of your Social Security Number

If you do not have a South Dakota Driver’s License or Social Security number and need help getting ID, go to www.voteriders.org.

Voting In-Person

If you are registered to vote in South Dakota, you are required to show photo ID to vote; or, you may instead sign an affidavit or similar document. Accepted forms of ID include:

• Valid Federal Issued ID
• Valid Military ID
• Valid South Dakota Driver’s License
• Valid Student ID
• Valid South Dakota Non-driver’s ID
• Valid Tribal ID
• Valid US Passport

If you don’t have any of these when you vote absentee in person or go to the polls on Election Day, you can fill out an affidavit confirming your identity and still be allowed to vote.

• To Register: Voters are not required to show photo ID to register to vote, but they must include a valid South Dakota driver’s license number or non-driver ID number on their registration form or the last four digits of their social security number. If the voter does not have these numbers, they may register to vote at their County Auditor’s office. See above for other locations where voters can register in person.
• To Vote in Person: The voter must show proof of identification. Approved forms of photo identification include:
  • A South Dakota driver’s license or non-driver ID card,
  • U.S. government photo ID (U.S. passport or photo identification card is acceptable),
  • A tribal ID card with picture,
  • A current student photo ID card from a South Dakota high school or South Dakota accredited institution of higher learning.
• If the voter cannot show a valid photo ID, they may sign a personal identification affidavit and may then still vote by regular ballot.
• Absentee Voting: The voter must submit a copy of a valid photo ID with their request for an absentee ballot or must get the absentee ballot application notarized to verify their identity. Acceptable forms of identification mirror those required when voting at a polling location and include a South Dakota driver’s license or non-driver ID card, passport or other picture ID issued by the United States government, tribal photo ID, or a current student photo ID issued by a South Dakota high school or postsecondary education institution.

• If the voter has moved within South Dakota, the voter must re-register to vote by completing a new voter registration form and should fill out the “Previous Voter Registration Information Required” section with the voter’s old address. The form can be obtained and completed at the County Auditor’s office or see above for other locations where voters can register in person.
• Any re-registration due to moving within South Dakota must be received by the County Auditor at least 15 days before the election. 
• If the voter did not re-register with their new address 15 days or more before the election, they may be able to vote but should still re-register with their current address. 
• If the voter moved to another precinct within the same county and did not update their registration address 15 days or more prior to the election, they will be able to vote in the precinct where they were originally registered. (This works a little differently if the county has Vote Centers.)
• If the voter moved to a different county within South Dakota and did not update their registration address 15 days or more prior to the election, the voter will be able to vote in the precinct where they were originally registered, but will not be able to vote in the county for their new address

• The Secretary of State has posted instructions for South Dakota military members and families away from home and overseas citizen voters who qualify to use the UOCAVA process.
• Registration: An overseas citizen or military voter using the UOCAVA process must be a South Dakota registered voter to request an absentee ballot for South Dakota absentee voting.  The voter may use the Federal Post Card Application (FPCA) to both register to vote and request their absentee ballot. See https://FVAP.gov/south-dakota.
• If the voter is registering to vote or updating their voter registration, the voter must mail the original form to the office of the voter’s County Auditor – a slower process than the one available to request absentee ballots.
• Application for Absentee Ballot: If the voter possesses a current, valid South Dakota driver’s license or non-driver ID card and is eligible to request an absentee ballot under UOCAVA, then the voter may use the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Electronic Voter Registration Portal to request an absentee ballot, available at https://elvr.sdsos.gov/. 
• Otherwise, the voter may submit an absentee ballot application using the following procedure:
• Complete, print and sign the Absentee Ballot Application (available from the Secretary of State’s absentee voting page); and 
• Send the application to their County Auditor by mail, fax, or a signed and scanned image of the application via email.
• Note that the requirement for a photo ID or notarization apparently is waived for U.S. citizens and military UOCAVA voters residing outside of the United States, but UOCAVA voters temporarily living elsewhere within the U.S. may want to check with their local South Dakota election officials about this requirement.
• Completion of the Ballot: The voter may choose to have their ballot sent to them electronically. If so, they will be notified by email when their ballot is ready to be downloaded. The voter must print the ballot, complete it, sign the envelope and mail it back to the county auditor. Marked, official ballots may NOT be submitted through any electronic means (i.e., fax, email, etc.).
• Federal Write-In Absentee Ballot: if an UOCAVA voter has submitted an absentee ballot application but has not received the absentee ballot, the voter may be eligible to submit a Federal Write-In Absentee Ballot (FWAB) instead.

• Individuals who are currently incarcerated for a felony conviction (federal or state) cannot vote while serving their sentence, and shall be removed from the voter registration records. After the completion of their entire sentence, including probation, parole, restitution, and payment of all fines and fees, an individual with a felony conviction becomes eligible to register to vote, and must register to be eligible to vote even if they were registered prior to their felony conviction.
• A person who receives a suspended imposition of sentence does not lose the right to vote. However, if a suspended sentence of imprisonment was imposed before July 1, 2012, the sentenced person loses the right to vote, but then may re-register after the sentence is completed..
• Pre-conviction detention and misdemeanor convictions do not restrict a person’s ability to vote.