Automatic voter registration
Online voter registration
Pre-registration before turning 18
Number of days prior to election a voter must be registered is 15 days or less
Online voter registration closes 15 days or less before Election Day
Registration drives
Same day registration offered in all elections
Same day registration located at polling place
Same day registration offered only during early voting
All mail voting
In-person early voting
Amount of early voting days is higher than 7
Election day is a state holiday
No-excuse mail voting
12+ hours of open polls
Paid time off work to vote
Time off work to vote
Felons can vote after incarceration with completion of sentence
Felons can vote immediately after incarceration
Felons can vote while incarcerated
No ID required to vote
Mental competency not required to register
Non-photo ID required to vote
Photo-ID required to vote
Upcoming Elections
Voting Qualifications
Deadlines
More Information
- The South Dakota Democratic Primary is open to registered Democrats and Independents/No Party Affiliation voters, but not Republicans.
- The South Dakota Libertarian Primary is open to voters registered as Libertarian, Independent, or No Party Affiliation.
- The South Dakota Republican Primary is closed to only registered Republicans.
In a Primary election, a voter is given only the ballot for the party which the voter is registered in, except for voters registered as an Independent or No Party Affiliation (NPA).
Any registered South Dakota voter may apply for an absentee ballot and vote by mail.
All voters who appear at a polling place must show one of the following forms of photo ID:
- South Dakota driver's license or nondriver ID card
- U.S. government photo ID (passport is acceptable)
- 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 you do not have a photo ID, you can sign a personal identification affidavit, and will still be allowed to vote a regular ballot.
