2024 Candidate Calendar
- January 1, 2024
- All candidates that file with the Secretary of State's office may begin circulating petitions.
- Statement of Organization is due 15 days after becoming a candidate. The candidate committees that have not already filed a statement of organization, must file not later than 15 days after the date upon which the committee made contributions, received contributions or paid expenses in excess of $500 unless such activity falls within 30 days of any statewide election, in which case the statement of organization shall be filed within 48 hours.
- January 26, 2024
- 2023 Year-End Campaign Finance Report is due by 5:00 pm CT.
- Who files: Click here
- Petition filing deadlines:
- March 26, 2024 for Primary Election candidates
- April 30, 2024 for Independent candidates
- Candidate Financial Interest Statements (FIS) must be filed within 15 days after filing nominating petitions or a convention nomination certification.
- April 19, 2024
- Absentee-Voting begins for Primary Election
- May 20, 2024
- Pre-Primary Campaign Finance Report is due by 5:00 pm CT.
- **Law change July 1, 2019** (All candidates running for a legislative or county office with a recognized political party shall file a pre-primary report if there is any primary race for that particular office in the legislative district or county)
- Who files: Click here
- June 4, 2024
- August 6, 2024
- Deadline to withdraw from the General Election is by 5:00 pm local time (SDCL 12-6-55). The request shall be filed where you filed your nominating petitions. There is no registered mail option for this request. The auditor must have the request in hand by 5:00 pm local time for it to be considered timely filed.
- September 20, 2024
- Absentee-Voting begins for General Election
- October 21, 2024
- November 5, 2024
- January 2025: Elected Official Oath of Office & Elected Official Financial Interest Statement must be filed in the office where the candidate nominating petition or convention nomination certification was filed. These must be filed within 15 days after taking the oath of office.
- January 31, 2025
* All petitions and campaign finance reports that are filed with the Secretary of State are due by 5:00 pm CT on the deadline day.
12-6-65 Notwithstanding any other provisions, if a candidate has been defeated in a primary election for office in the Legislature, the candidate may not run for that office under the affiliation of a different political party in the same election year as the primary election.
Disclaimer: This candidate election calendar is only a general guide and may not be all-inclusive of all election dates and deadlines in the state. Dates may also change due to legislative changes.