2004 South Dakota Summary of Voting Changes
IDENTIFICATION AT THE POLLS
All voters will be
required to provide identification before voting or obtaining an
absentee ballot. The personal identification that may be presented
shall either be:
(1)
A South Dakota driver’s license or nondriver
identification card;
(2)
A passport or an identification card,
including a picture, issued by an agency of the United States
government;
(3)
A tribal identification card, including a
picture; or
(4)
An
identification card, including a picture, issued by a high school or an
accredited institution of higher education, including a university,
college, or technical school, located within the State of South Dakota.
If a voter is not
able to present personal identification, the voter may complete an
affidavit in lieu of the personal identification.
Absentee
Voting
Any registered
voter may vote by absentee ballot. Voters do not need to provide a
reason in order to absentee vote.
- Absentee ballots
are available six weeks prior to the election.
- An absentee voter
desiring to vote by mail may apply to the person in charge of the
election for an absentee ballot. The application shall be made in
writing and be signed by the applicant and state the applicant’s voter
registration address. The application shall contain an oath verifying
the information contained in the application. The oath shall be
administered by a notary public or other officer authorized by statute
to administer an oath.
- If the
application does not contain an oath, it shall be accompanied by a copy
of the voter’s identification card.
- If the absentee
voter applies for a ballot in person, the voter must show the person in
charge of the election the voter’s identification card or complete a
personal identification affidavit.
- In the event of
sickness or confinement, a qualified voter may request an absentee
ballot in writing, naming an authorized messenger who will deliver the
ballot to the voter. An application for a ballot by authorized
messenger must be received by the person in charge of the election
before 3:00 p.m. the day of the election.
- The voter must
sign a statement on the absentee ballot envelope prior to returning the
ballot. All voted ballots must be returned to the person in charge of
the election in time to be delivered to the appropriate polling place
prior to the closing of the polls.
Provisional
Ballots
- If any person is
not authorized to vote, is successfully challenged, or is otherwise
denied the ability to vote and the person maintains that he or she is
currently registered to vote in that precinct, the person may cast a
ballot which shall be called a provisional ballot.
- The voter must
complete an affirmation for a provisional ballot. Provisional ballots
are not counted on election night. The person in charge of the election
will investigate the following day to determine if that voter was
properly registered in that precinct. If the information found
determines that the voter was properly registered, then that provisional
ballot will be counted. The voter will receive notification of whether
his/her provisional ballot was counted or not and if not, an explanation
of why it was not counted.
- By voting a
provisional ballot, your vote may not be secret if only one provisional
ballot is cast in that precinct.
Instructions
to Voters
• IF YOU MAKE A MISTAKE
If you make a
mistake, give the ballot back and get a new one.
If you cast more
votes than allowed in a race, give the ballot back and get a new one.
(If you cast more votes than allowed in a race, your votes for that race
will not be counted.)
• IF YOU NEED HELP, ASK
The Election Board
at your polling place on election day is there to help you if you have
questions.
• Voting
Rights
Any voter who can’t
mark a ballot because the voter has a physical disability or can’t read,
may ask any person they choose to help them vote.
Any voter may ask
for instruction in the proper procedure for voting.
Any voter at the
polling place prior to 7:00 p.m. is allowed to cast a ballot.
If your voting
rights have been violated, you may call the person in charge of the
election, the Secretary of State at 888-703-5328, or your state’s
attorney.
