Ballot access requirements for political candidates in South Dakota

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Note: This article is not intended to serve as an exhaustive guide to running for public office. Individuals should contact their state election agencies for further information.


In order to get on the ballot in South Dakota, a candidate for state or federal office must meet a variety of state-specific filing requirements and deadlines. These regulations, known as ballot access laws, determine whether a candidate or party will appear on an election ballot. These laws are set at the state level. A candidate must prepare to meet ballot access requirements well in advance of primaries, caucuses, and the general election.

There are three basic methods by which an individual may become a candidate for office in a state.

  1. An individual can seek the nomination of a state-recognized political party.
  2. An individual can run as an independent. Independent candidates often must petition in order to have their names printed on the general election ballot.
  3. An individual can run as a write-in candidate.

This article outlines the steps that prospective candidates for state-level and congressional office must take in order to run for office in South Dakota. For information about filing requirements for presidential candidates, click here. Information about filing requirements for local-level offices is not available in this article (contact state election agencies for information about local candidate filing processes).

DocumentIcon.jpg See state election laws

Year-specific filing information

2024

See also: Signature requirements and deadlines for 2024 U.S. Congress elections and South Dakota elections, 2024

U.S. Senate

For information on candidate ballot access requirements in South Dakota, click here.

U.S. House

The table below details filing requirements for U.S. House candidates in South Dakota in the 2024 election cycle. For additional information on candidate ballot access requirements in South Dakota, click here.

Filing requirements for U.S. House candidates, 2024
State Office Party Signatures required Filing fee Filing deadline Source
South Dakota U.S. House Democratic 1,232 N/A 3/26/2024 Source
South Dakota U.S. House Libertarian 741 N/A 3/26/2024 Source
South Dakota U.S. House Republican 2,171 N/A 3/26/2024 Source
South Dakota U.S. House Unaffiliated 3,502 N/A 4/30/2024 Source


For filing information from previous years, click "[Show more]" below.

Show more

2022

See also: Signature requirements and deadlines for 2022 U.S. Congress elections and South Dakota elections, 2022

U.S. Senate

The table below details filing requirements for U.S. Senate candidates in South Dakota in the 2022 election cycle. For additional information on candidate ballot access requirements in South Dakota, click here.

Filing requirements for U.S. Senate candidates, 2022
State Office Party Signatures required Filing fee Filing deadline Source
South Dakota U.S. Senate Republican 1,730 N/A 3/29/2022 Source
South Dakota U.S. Senate Democratic 1,615 N/A 3/29/2022 Source
South Dakota U.S. Senate Libertarian 50 N/A 3/29/2022 Source
South Dakota U.S. Senate Unaffiliated 3,393 N/A 4/26/2022 Source

U.S. House

The table below details filing requirements for U.S. House candidates in South Dakota in the 2022 election cycle. For additional information on candidate ballot access requirements in South Dakota, click here.

Filing requirements for U.S. House candidates, 2022
State Office Party Signatures required Filing fee Filing deadline Source
South Dakota U.S. House Ballot-qualified party 1% of all votes cast for the party's gubernatorial nominee in 2018 N/A 3/29/2022 Source
South Dakota U.S. House Unaffiliated 1% of all votes cast governor in 2018 N/A 4/26/2022 Source

Governor

The table below details filing requirements for gubernatorial candidates in South Dakota in the 2022 election cycle. For additional information on candidate ballot access requirements in South Dakota, click here.

Filing requirements for gubernatorial candidates, 2022
State Office Party Signatures required Filing fee Filing deadline Source Notes
South Dakota Governor Democratic 1,615 N/A 3/29/2022 Source
South Dakota Governor Republican 1,730 N/A 3/29/2022 Source
South Dakota Governor Libertarian 50 N/A 3/29/2022 Source
South Dakota Governor Unaffiliated 3,393 N/A 4/26/2022 Source

2020

See also: Signature requirements and deadlines for 2020 U.S. Congress elections and South Dakota elections, 2020

U.S. Senate

The table below details filing requirements for U.S. Senate candidates in South Dakota in the 2020 election cycle. For additional information on candidate ballot access requirements in South Dakota, click here.

Filing requirements for U.S. Senate candidates, 2020
State Office Party Signatures required Signature formula Filing fee Filing fee formula Filing deadline Source
South Dakota U.S. Senate Democratic 1,615 1% of all votes cast for Democratic gubernatorial nominee in last election N/A N/A 3/31/2020 Source
South Dakota U.S. Senate Republican 1,730 1% of all votes cast for Republican gubernatorial nominee in last election N/A N/A 3/31/2020 Source
South Dakota U.S. Senate Unaffiliated 3,393 1% of all votes cast for governor in the last election N/A N/A 4/28/2020 Source

U.S. House

The table below details filing requirements for U.S. House candidates in South Dakota in the 2020 election cycle. For additional information on candidate ballot access requirements in South Dakota, click here.

Filing requirements for U.S. House candidates, 2020
State Office Party Signatures required Signature formula Filing fee Filing fee formula Filing deadline Source
South Dakota At-large District Democratic 1,615 1% of votes cast for the Democratic gubernatorial candidate in 2018 N/A N/A 3/31/2020 Source
South Dakota At-large District Republican 1,730 1% of votes cast for the Republican gubernatorial candidate in 2018 N/A N/A 3/31/2020 Source
South Dakota At-large District Unaffiliated 3,393 1% of all votes cast for governor in 2018 N/A N/A 4/28/2020 Source

State House

The table below details filing requirements for South Dakota House of Representatives candidates in the 2020 election cycle.

Filing requirements for state legislative candidates, 2020
Chamber name Party Signatures required Filing fee Filing deadline Source
South Dakota House of Representatives Qualified party Varies by party and district N/A 3/31/2020 Source
South Dakota House of Representatives Unaffiliated 1% of total votes cast for governor in the district in the last election N/A 4/28/2020 Source

State Senate

The table below details filing requirements for South Dakota State Senate candidates in the 2020 election cycle.

Filing requirements for state legislative candidates, 2020
Chamber name Party Signatures required Filing fee Filing deadline Source
South Dakota State Senate Qualified party Varies by party and district N/A 3/31/2020 Source
South Dakota State Senate Unaffiliated 1% of total votes cast for governor in the district in the last election N/A 4/28/2020 Source

2018

See also: Signature requirements and deadlines for 2018 U.S. Congress elections and South Dakota elections, 2018

See below for 2018 candidate filing deadlines.

March 27, 2018

2016

See also: Signature requirements and deadlines for 2016 U.S. Congress elections and South Dakota elections, 2016

The calendar below lists important dates for political candidates in South Dakota in 2016.

Dates and requirements for candidates in 2016
Deadline Event type Event description
January 1, 2016 Ballot access Candidate petition circulation period begins
March 29, 2016 Ballot access Primary candidate filing deadline
April 26, 2016 Ballot access Independent candidate filing deadline
May 27, 2016 Campaign finance Pre-primary campaign finance report due
June 7, 2016 Election date Primary election
August 12, 2016 Campaign finance Post-primary campaign finance report due for candidates who will not be on the ballot in the general election
October 28, 2016 Campaign finance Pre-general campaign finance report due
November 8, 2016 Election date General election
February 6, 2017 Campaign finance 2016 year-end campaign finance report due
Source: South Dakota Secretary of State, "2016 Candidate Calendar," accessed August 7, 2015

2015


2014


Process to become a candidate

DocumentIcon.jpg See statutes: Title 19, Chapter 12-6, Title 19, Chapter 12-7 of South Dakota Codified Law

For primary candidates

A primary election candidate must file a petition no earlier than January 1 and no later than the last Tuesday of March at 5 p.m., prior to the primary election. The petition must contain the required signatures and a declaration of candidacy. The declaration of candidacy must be completed before the candidate collects signatures. The declaration must be completed in the presence of an authorized notary public. A petition for a statewide or federal office must be signed by no less than 1 percent of the number of voters who supported the most recent winning gubernatorial candidate. For a state legislative candidate or candidate for county office, the petition must be signed by the lesser of 50 voters or 1 percent of the party's total registered members in that district or county. Any state legislative candidate must be a resident of the district for which he or she is a candidate at the time he or she signs the declaration of candidacy.[3][4][5]

For independent candidates

Any candidate for nonjudicial public office who is not nominated by a primary election may be nominated as an independent candidate by filing with the South Dakota Secretary of State or county auditor. Filing must be completed no earlier than January 1 and no later than the last Tuesday of April at 5:00 p.m., prior to the election. An independent candidate's certificate of nomination must be signed by registered voters within the applicable district or political subdivision. The number of signatures required may not be less than 1 percent of the total combined vote cast for governor at the last certified gubernatorial election within the district or political subdivision. Registered party members cannot sign petitions for independent candidates. No petition or certificate of nomination may be circulated prior to January 1 of the year in which the election will be held. Primary election candidates are prohibited from filing as independent candidates for the same office in the same year. No candidate can file a certificate of nomination for an office for which he or she has been a candidate in the primary election of the same year. Any candidate for office in the state legislature must be a resident of the district for which he or she is a candidate.[5][6][7][8]

For write-in candidates

The relevant statutes do not stipulate that a candidate may run as a write-in candidate. Write-in candidates for president are expressly prohibited.[9]

Petition requirements

See also: Methods for signing candidate nominating petitions

DocumentIcon.jpg See statutes: South Dakota Codified Law Section 12-13-28, Section 12-6-8, Section 12-7-1.1

In some cases, candidates may need to obtain signatures via the petition process to gain access to the ballot. This section outlines the laws and regulations pertaining to petitions and circulators in South Dakota.

Circulation requirements

A petition circulator gathering signatures on behalf of a candidate in South Dakota must meet the following requirements:[10]

  1. must be 18 years old
  2. must be a South Dakota resident
  3. must personally witness each signature on the petition circulated
  4. must have the petition verified by a notary public after its circulation
  5. must state under oath that no statute regarding the petition circulation was knowingly violated
  6. must make a reasonable inquiry that determines each signer is a registered voter of the state and county indicated on the petition
  7. must not be paid or rewarded based on the number of signatures to the petition, though a circulator may be paid an hourly wage or salary


Election administration agencies

Election agencies

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 local, state, and federal agencies.

South Dakota County Auditors

Click here for a list

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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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.

Term limits

State executives

State Executive Officials
See also: State executives with term limits and States with gubernatorial term limits

The state executive term limits in South Dakota are as follows:

  • The governor may serve a total of two terms.
  • The comptroller may serve a total of two terms.
  • The lieutenant governor must wait four years and/or one full term before becoming eligible to serve again after serving two consecutive terms.
  • The secretary of state must wait four years and/or one full term before becoming eligible to serve again after serving two consecutive terms.
  • The attorney general must wait four years and/or one full term before becoming eligible to serve again after serving two consecutive terms.
  • The treasurer must wait four years and/or one full term before becoming eligible to serve again after serving two consecutive terms.
  • The auditor must wait four years and/or one full term before becoming eligible to serve again after serving two consecutive terms.

State legislators

See also: State legislatures with term limits

An individual can serve in the South Dakota State Legislature for four terms (eight years) in each of the two chambers, the South Dakota State Senate and the South Dakota House of Representatives.

Congressional partisanship

Portal:Legislative Branch
See also: List of United States Representatives from South Dakota and List of United States Senators from South Dakota

Below is the current partisan breakdown of the congressional delegation from South Dakota.

Congressional Partisan Breakdown from South Dakota
Party U.S. Senate U.S. House Total
Democratic 0 0 0
Republican 2 1 3
Independent 0 0 0
Vacancies 0 0 0
Total 2 1 3

State legislative partisanship

Portal:State legislatures

Below is the current partisan breakdown of the state legislature of South Dakota.

South Dakota State Senate

Party As of April 2025
     Democratic Party 3
     Republican Party 32
     Other 0
     Vacancies 0
Total 35

South Dakota House of Representatives

Party As of April 2025
     Democratic Party 6
     Republican Party 64
     Other 0
     Vacancies 0
Total 70

Related legislation

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The table below lists bills related to ballot access requirements for candidates that have been introduced during (or carried over to) the current legislative session in South Dakota. The following information is included for each bill:

  • State
  • Bill number
  • Official bill name or caption
  • Most recent action date
  • Legislative status
  • Sponsor party
  • Topics dealt with by the bill

Bills are organized by most recent action. The table displays up to 100 results. To view more bills, use the arrows in the upper-right corner. Clicking on a bill will open its page on Ballotpedia's Election Administration Legislation Tracker, which includes bill details and a summary.

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See also

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External links

Official state and federal links

Other information

Footnotes

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 South Dakota Secretary of State, "2014 Candidate Calendar," accessed November 6, 2013
  2. ↑ Phone call with South Dakota Secretary of State, October 9, 2013.
  3. ↑ South Dakota Codified Law, "Title 12-6-4," accessed March 28, 2025
  4. ↑ South Dakota Secretary of State, "Download a petition," accessed March 28, 2025
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 South Dakota Codified Law, "Title 12-7-6," accessed March 28, 2025
  6. ↑ South Dakota Codified Law, "Title 12-7-1," accessed March 28, 2025
  7. ↑ South Dakota Codified Law, "Title 12-7-1.1," accessed March 28, 2025
  8. ↑ South Dakota Codified Law, "Title 12-7-5," accessed March 28, 2025
  9. ↑ South Dakota Codified Law, "Title 12-20-21.2," accessed March 28, 2025
  10. ↑ South Dakota Secretary of State, "How to circulate a nominating petition 2024," accessed March 28, 2025
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