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 includevoter 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 aboutvoting rules for people convicted of a felony.
- Contact information forelection 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.
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Voter registration
The table below displays voter registration information specific to South Dakota's 2026 election cycle.
Voter registration inSouth Dakota: June 2, 2026, election.
Can people register to vote online? If so, what is the link?
Can voters check their registration status online? If so, what is the link?
Can voters update their registration online? If so, what is the link?
What is the deadline for registering in person?
What is the deadline for registering by mail?
Is the mail-in registration deadline a postmark or receipt deadline?
What was the online registration deadline, if available?
Is Election Day registration available?
Is same-day registration available during early voting?
Eligibility and registration details
- Check your voter registration statushere.
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 avoter 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
The table below displays voter registration information specific to South Dakota's 2026 election cycle.
In-person voting inSouth Dakota: June 2, 2026, election.
Are all voters required to show ID?
What kinds of ID are accepted?
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
Where can voters learn more about the state's voter ID requirements?
When does early voting start?
When does early voting end?
Where can I find early voting locations?
Is weekend voting available?
Where can voters learn more about early voting?
What are the poll times on Election Day?
Where can I find voting locations?
Poll times
- See also:State poll opening and closing times
InSouth 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
- 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
- See also:Early voting
South Dakota permits early voting. Learn more by visitingthis website.
Early voting allows citizens to cast their ballots in person at a polling place before 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. Alabama, Mississippi, and New Hampshire do not offer no-excuse early voting.
Absentee/mail-in voting
- See also:Absentee/mail-in voting
The table below displays voter registration information specific to South Dakota's 2026 election cycle.
Absentee voting inSouth Dakota: June 2, 2026, election.
Are there limits on who can request a ballot?
What is the deadline for requesting a ballot by mail?
Is the request deadline a postmark or receipt deadline?
What is the deadline for returning a voted ballot by mail?
Is the return deadline a postmark or receipt deadline?
Are there notary or witness requirements?
All voters are eligible forabsentee/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
Do you need information about elections inyour area? Are you looking foryour local election official?Click here to visit theU.S. Vote Foundation and use their election official lookup tool. |
Voting rules for people convicted of a felony
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
Election agencies
- 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
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See also
- 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
External links
Footnotes
- ↑1.01.1South 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
- ↑3.03.1South 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.
- ↑5.05.1South 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
