South Dakota Absentee Voter Guide

Military and overseas voters should visit the Overseas Vote Foundation.  Long Distance Voter's forms and deadlines should only be used by voters with US mailing addresses.

Important Deadlines

• Voter Registration: Received at least 15 days before the election
• Absentee Ballot Application: Received 3pm on Election Day (yes, really)
• Voted Absentee Ballot: Received by close of polls on Election Day
  

How to vote by absentee ballot

Register to vote

Recommended: Use our Voter Registration Widget.  Enter your information, print and sign the completed form, and mail it to the address printed on the form. 

You can download the South Dakota Voter Registration Form.  Complete and sign the form and mail it to your County Auditor.

Verify your voter registration

You should receive written confirmation that your voter registration was processed in 2-3 weeks.  Don't panic if you never receive your voter registration card: you don't actually need it to vote.  If you not sure if your registration was processed - or if you simply can't remember if you're register to vote - you can use the voter registration verification tools here.

Apply for your absentee ballot

Good news!  Any South Dakota voter can vote absentee by absentee ballot.

Download and complete South Dakota's Application for Absentee Ballot.  You can also download and complete the South Dakota Fill-In Application for Absentee Ballot.  The two applications are identical, but the second one lets you type your information directly into the form before printing.

Your signature on the application must be notarized or witnessed by an official who can administer an oath.  As an alternative to notarization, you can send a photocopy of a valid form of identification with the application.  Acceptable forms of ID include: A South Dakota driver’s license or non-driver identification card;  A passport or an identification card, including a picture, issued by an agency of the United States government; A tribal identification card, including a picture; or a current student identification card, including a picture, issued by an accredited institution of higher education, including a university, college, or technical school, located within the State of South Dakota.

Mail or hand-deliver your completed application to the appropriate elections officials:

• For primary or general elections, mail your application to your County Auditor;
• For municipal elections, mail your completed application to your Town/City Finance Officer;
• For school elections, mail your application to your School District's Business Manager;

Receive, complete, and return your absentee ballot

Here's what you do with your ballot once you receive it:

• Mark your ballot privately.
• Place your ballot in the return envelope and seal it securely.
• Complete the statement on the back of the return envelope and SIGN IT.
• Mail the ballot to the person in charge of the election, deliver it in person, or authorize someone to deliver it for you.
• The ballot must be received by the person in charge of the election by 7:00 p.m. (in time to transmit it to your precinct polling place) on election day.

Frequently Asked Questions:

Do I need to provide ID when I apply for my absentee ballot?

Your absentee ballot application must be notarized or witnessed by an official who can administer an oath. 

As an alternative to notariziation, you can send a photocopy of a valid form of identification with their absentee ballot application. Acceptable forms of ID: A South Dakota driver’s license or nondriver identification card; A passport or other picture ID issued by the United States government; a tribal photo ID; OR a current student photo ID issued by a South Dakota high school or postsecondary education institution.

I won't be able to go to the polls on election day but don't want to vote by mail.  Can I vote in person before the election?

Yes. Check out our Early Voting page for details.

Additional Information