CIRCULATING A TOWNSHIP NOMINATING PETITION - 2012
1. The declaration of candidacy at
the top of the petition form must be completed prior to circulation for
signatures (SDCL 12-6-8). It may not be signed prior to the first day to
circulate the petition. The name will appear on the ballot in the exact
form indicated in the declaration of candidacy (SDCL 12-16-1).
2. Petitions may not be circulated until
forty-five days prior to the annual election. Petitions may be filed no later
than 5:00 pm of the day twenty-five days prior to the annual township meeting at
which such officer is to be elected.
3. Signatures of registered voters must be
obtained between the date of the candidate's signed declaration of candidacy and
the date of the circulator's verification.
4. A petition
circulator must be a resident of the state of South Dakota who is at least
eighteen years of age.
5. The petition circulator must personally
witness each signature on the petition being circulated. The petition's
verification must be completed following circulation and must include the
circulator's municipality, complete printed address and signed under oath before
a notary public or other officer authorized to administer oaths.
6. Each petition signer must be a registered
voter of the township. (SDCL 8-3-1.2).
7. Signers must sign their names as they are
registered to vote or as they usually sign their names.
8. The signer's printed name must appear below
the signature.
9. Each signature line must show a complete
residence address. This can be street and house number or rural route and box
number in addition to the city or town. Zip codes are not necessary but will
not invalidate a signature.
If the signer is a resident of a second or third
class municipality, a post office box number may be used in lieu of a street
address. Second and third class municipalities are those with less than 5000
population. They would include all municipalities except the following which
are first class municipalities:
Aberdeen, Belle Fourche, Box Elder, Brandon, Brookings, Huron, Madison,
Mitchell, Pierre, Rapid City, Sioux Falls, Spearfish, Sturgis, Vermillion,
Watertown and Yankton.
10. Each signature line must show the month
and
day it was signed.
11. Numbers to designate the month are
permissible. Abbreviations commonly used are also acceptable.
12. The county of the signer's voter
registration must be included.
13. The date, address, county of registration,
and printed name may be added by the circulator prior to the petition being
filed. Ditto marks may not be used.
14. A voter may sign as many petitions for a
particular office as there are positions to be filled (SDCL 12-6-8).
15. Petitions are filed with the township
clerk.
It is prudent to submit any petition to the
filing authority with ample time prior to the deadline to allow you to collect
additional signatures if there are not sufficient valid signatures presented on
your initial petition.
For additional information or petition forms
please contact the township clerk, your county auditor, or the Secretary of State's office, 605-773-3537.