South Dakota · Office of the Secretary of State
Felony Convictions
SDCL § 12-4-18
Under South Dakota law, a person currently serving a felony conviction in either federal or state court is removed from the voter registration rolls. Once that sentence is complete, the person becomes eligible to register to vote again.
A suspended imposition of sentence does not affect voting rights — if you received one, you never lost the right to vote in the first place.
- Voting rights are removed only while a felony sentence is actively being served, not permanently.
- Eligibility to register returns automatically once the sentence is completed.
- A suspended imposition of sentence for a felony charge does not disqualify you from voting.