2022 Candidate Withdrawal Information

Deadlines to withdraw and vacancies to be filled for the General Election

• The deadline to withdraw from the 2022 June 7th Primary Election is March 31, 2022 at 5:00 pm local time.
  • This form can be mailed by registered mail on the deadline date and meet the deadline requirements.
• The deadline to withdraw from the 2022 November 8th General Election is August 2, 2022 at 5:00 pm local time   
• There is no registered mail option for the withdrawal form to be received by the filing office after the deadline
• The office where the petition was filed must receive the candidate withdrawal form before the county central committee(s) meet(s) to appoint someone to fill the vacant candidate spot. 
• The deadline for the party central committee(s) to fill vacancies is August 9, 2022 at 5:00 pm local time.
  • This form can be mailed by registered mail on the deadline date and meet the deadline requirements.

Candidates may withdraw from the Primary or General Election by submitting the Candidate’s Request to Withdraw Nomination form

Political parties can fill party candidate vacancies by submitting the Certificate of Nomination to Fill Vacancy Form

    12-6-8.1.   Withdrawal from primary election--Time and place of filing. Any person may have his or her name withdrawn from the primary election by making a written request under oath. The request shall be filed with the officer with whom the nominating petition was filed pursuant to SDCL 12-6-4, not later than two days after the last Tuesday in March at five p.m. If the request is mailed by registered mail not later than two days after the last Tuesday in March at five p.m., the request is properly filed. No name that is withdrawn pursuant to this section may be printed on the ballots to be used at the election.  

   12-6-55.   Withdrawal by nominee--Time and place of filing. Any person nominated to any elective office may cause that person's name to be withdrawn from nomination by request in writing, subscribed and sworn to by that person before any officer qualified to administer oaths and take acknowledgments. The request shall be filed with the officer with whom the nominating petition was filed pursuant to 12-6-4, not later than the first Tuesday in August at 5:00 p.m. before the next election. No person's name withdrawn under this section may be printed upon the ballots for that office unless the same person is subsequently selected to fill the vacancy in accordance with 12-6-56.

  12-6-56.   Vacancies in party ticket to be filled by party committee. If a vacancy occurs by reason of death or withdrawal after a primary election, a party candidate for public office may be chosen if a meeting of the appropriate party central committee is held and the results are certified to the appropriate official within the times prescribed by § 12-8-6. If the vacancy is a party candidate for presidential elector or statewide office, the vacancy shall be filled by the State Party Central Committee. If the vacancy is a party candidate for public office other than presidential elector or statewide office, the vacancy shall be filled by a vote of county party central committee members in attendance who reside in the affected district. The certification of the results shall be signed by the person responsible for calling the meeting under § 12-6-57 or the person designated to conduct the meeting under § 12-6-57.

  12-6-57.   Meeting of party committee to fill vacancies--Manner of voting.

To fill a vacancy for a party candidate to a:

(1) State office or as a presidential elector, the party State Central Committee chairman shall call a central committee meeting to fill the vacancy, and designate the time and place where the meeting shall be held;

(2) Multi-county legislative district, the party State Central Committee chairman shall call a meeting of affected county party central committee members to fill the vacancy, designate the time and place where the meeting shall be held, designate the person who will conduct the meeting, and notify all affected central committee members of this information;

(3) Single-county legislative district or county office, the county party central committee chairman shall call a meeting of the county party central committee to fill the vacancy and designate the time and place where the meeting shall be held.

Vacancies filled by State Central Committee shall be by unit representation, each county casting the number of votes cast in that county at the last general election for that party's candidate for Governor. All other vacancies shall be filled by a majority vote of the affected committee members present.

  12-8-6.   Time of filing certificates of nomination. Nominations by party committee to fill vacancies occurring in nominations made in primary elections and certificates of nomination to be filed with the secretary of state and those to be filed with the county auditor shall be filed not later than the second Tuesday in August at five p.m. or mailed by registered mail by that date and time prior to the election.