South Dakota
Land Acknowledgement
South Dakota is the home of the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe, Crow Creek Sioux Tribe, Flandreau Santee Sioux Tribe, Lower Brule Sioux Tribe, Oglala Sioux Tribe, Rosebud Sioux Tribe, Sisseton-Wahpeton Oyate of the Lake Traverse Reservation, Standing Rock Sioux Tribe, and the Yankton Sioux Tribe. It is also the traditional homeland of many tribes.
Overview
In South Dakota you can register to vote in person or by mail. The deadline to register is October 24 at 5PM. If you mail in your registration, it must be received by this deadline. When voting in person, you must bring a photo ID.
Key Dates
September 23 - Absentee voting begins
October 24 - Voter registration deadline
November 7 - Deadline for absentee ballot requests
November 8 - Election Day!
South Dakota Voting Guide
Note: The information below is not legal advice on how to vote. Because voting information is changing rapidly during this election, make sure you check the links provided and check with your state about deadlines and voting specifics.
Registering to Vote
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The voter registration deadline is October 24 at 5PM. If you mail in your registration, it must be received by this deadline.
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No.
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You will be asked to provide either your South Dakota driver's license number or, if you do not have a current South Dakota driver's license, the last four digits of your Social Security Number.
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A permanent residential address, P.O. box, rural box, or general delivery address are all sufficient as long as you can provide the location of your home as well. This can be a general description of where your home is located (county/reservation, nearby streets or highways, nearest milepost number, directions from a major landmark, etc.) or a 911 address, if available.
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You can contact your County Auditor with any questions regarding the validity of your address or other registration questions.
You can also contact your Public Safety Answering Point.
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You may get a South Dakota driver's license from any of the exam locations throughout the state. In lieu of a driver's license, South Dakota also allows you to register to vote using the last four digits of your Social Security Number.
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No. You may fill out your application online but you must mail the form to your County Auditor.
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No.
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Yes. You may register to vote at your County Auditor's office, driver's license station, city finance office, Department of Human Services offices, and military recruitment offices.
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Yes. You may download and fill out the form and mail it to your County Auditor.
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Yes, unless the crime resulted in a felony conviction and you are currently serving the sentence, under parole, probation, restitution, or have outstanding fines or fees. If you have completely served your sentence and paid all fines or fees, you may vote. You retain the right to vote in both federal and state elections if you were not imprisoned and were only sentenced to probation or the payment of fines, fees, or restitution.
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Contact your local County Auditor.
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The voter registration deadline is October 24 at 5PM. If you mail in your registration, it must be received by this date and time.
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Yes, under federal law you can assist someone in registering to vote if they do not speak English well, if they have trouble reading or writing, or if they have a disability.
Checking & Updating Voter Registration
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You can check your voter registration using this website.
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Call your County Auditor or contact the South Dakota Secretary of State Office - Election Services.
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If you move, you must re-register to vote by completing a new voter registration form. If you change your name, you are encouraged to update your registration by submitting a new form.
When doing either, make sure to fill out the "Previous Voter Registration Information Required" section.
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It is likely your voter registration is still valid as long as your address has not changed.
However, if you have not voted in the last four years, and did not return or receive a voter address confirmation letter, you may have to re-register.
Alternatively, if you received the confirmation letter but did not return it, you were likely placed on the inactive voter list. Once on the list, if you have not voted in the next two general elections, you will need to re-register.
Voting by Mail/Absentee/Ballot Drop-Off
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Although you can request an absentee ballot up until November 7, voters are encouraged to request one as soon as possible to ensure their ballot is sent out in time.
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Yes. Please check that you have filled out all required fields and signed your ballot. USPS recommends you mail in your ballot a week before the deadline to ensure your ballot is received on time. However, please factor in your personal experience with mail delivery times to and from your place of residence or where you drop off your ballot.
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Download and print an absentee ballot application and mail your original, signed application to your County Auditor. Absentee ballot applications must include a photocopy of an acceptable photo ID or be notarized.
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No.
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Yes.
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The deadline to request an absentee ballot is November 7 at 5PM, but you should request one as soon as you can.
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South Dakota will begin mailing out ballots on September 23.
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Your absentee ballot can be mailed to either your address of registration or any alternative address you provide on your absentee ballot request.
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Yes.
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The USPS recommends you mail in your absentee ballot one week prior to the state deadline. In South Dakota you should mail in your ballot by Tuesday, November 1.
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Yes, you may deliver your completed absentee ballot to your County Auditor. If you choose to deliver your absentee ballot in-person, it is advisable to do so no later than 5PM on November 7, the day before election day.
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Yes. You may elect to have an authorized messenger return your absentee ballot for you, as long as they are identified when filling out the absentee ballot application. The authorized messenger request is found at the bottom of the application. Be sure to complete all required sections of the form.
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No. Ballots may only be sent through USPS.
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The ballot itself does not need to be witnessed or notarized. Absentee ballot applications must include a photocopy of an acceptable photo ID or be notarized.
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The County Auditor may throw out your ballot if the signature on the envelope does not match that on file with the State. Double-check your voter registration in the Voter Information Portal or contact the Secretary of State with any questions regarding your signature and how to update it.
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You can track your ballot in the Voter Information Portal online.
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Contact your County Auditor.
Voting In-Person
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You can find your polling place online in the Voter Information Portal.
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No.
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Yes. You can drop off your mail in ballot in person before November 8. Registered voters can also vote in-person once absentee voting begins on September 23 at their County Auditor's office by bringing along a valid photo ID.
If a voter does not have a photo ID, they must be given the option to sign a personal identification affidavit and vote a regular ballot.
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Yes. Acceptable IDs include South Dakota driver's licenses or non-driving IDs, U.S. Government IDs, Armed Forces ID, school IDs from South Dakota high school or accredited higher education institution, and tribal IDs with photos.
If you do not have one of the acceptable IDs, you may sign a personal affidavit and still cast your ballot.
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You may get a South Dakota driver's license from any of the exam locations throughout the state. You may also receive a tribal ID from your tribal government.
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Yes. Provisional ballots may be provided to individuals who are not on the registration list but state that they are registered to vote in that precinct. Provisional ballots will be counted 7-17 days after the election, and you will be notified if your ballot is counted or not along with the reasoning if it is not counted.
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Yes. Under federal law (Section 208 of the Voting Rights Act), you are entitled to bring anyone you trust, such as a friend, family member, or neighbor, to the polling place AND into the polling booth to assist with voting. However, that person may not be your employer, running in the election, or a representative of your labor union. The person giving assistance also may not tell the voter how to vote.
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Contact your County Auditor.