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Address Confidentiality - Secure Active Designation
South Dakota Codified Law 12-4-9.2 allows a person eligible to vote who resides in a shelter or who has obtained an active protection order to apply to be listed in the voter registration file with a secured active voter designation. South Dakota’s Secure Active Designation program is designed to protect the locations of individuals whose safety and livelihoods have been compromised by unfortunate circumstances, such as domestic violence, stalking, harassment and rape. Individuals enrolled into the program may safely exercise their right to vote since their actual address is not listed in the public voter registration records.
12-4-9.2. Secured active designation.
A person eligible to vote under 12-4-1 may apply to the secretary of state to be listed in the master registration file with a secured active designation.
The secretary of state shall certify a secured active designation if an applicant provides a sworn application that affirms one of the following:
(1) The applicant has obtained an active protection order under chapter 25-10 or chapter 22-19A, which the secretary of state shall verify with the Unified Judicial System; or
(2) The applicant resides in a shelter established pursuant to chapter 25-10. The applicant shall obtain authorization signed by an official of the shelter.
Upon receipt of the application, the secretary of state shall verify with the Unified Judicial System that the applicant petitioned for the protection order and the order is active.
A voter record with a secured active designation shall be excluded from public inspection or copying, except if requested by a law enforcement agency, if directed by a court order, or if a secured active designation has been cancelled at the request of the secured active designee.
A secured active designation remains in effect for five years.
The State Board of Elections shall promulgate rules, pursuant to chapter 1-26, to prescribe the notices and forms, as well as any criteria and procedures for approving applications pursuant to this section.
Secured Active Designation Application and Cancellation.
Applicants applying as residents of a victims’ services shelter are required to obtain the signature of an authorized shelter official. This designation excludes the applicant’s voter record from public inspection or copying, except if requested by a law enforcement agency, court order, or cancelled at the request of the applicant.
Victims’ Services Shelter Signature Authorizations.
As part of the authorization process, our office is required to obtain signature authorizations from the qualifying shelter(s). To become an authorized service shelter, please complete this form and include the shelter officials who will be authorized to sign as part of the program:
Victims’ Services Shelter Signature Authorizations Form
Secured Active Designation Program Shelters.
The SDSOS keeps an updated list of Secured Active Designation shelters. If your shelter’s contact information needs to be updated, please email Elections@State.SD.US
All Secure Active Designation forms need to be submitted to:
Office of the Secretary of State
Attn: Elections Division
500 East Capitol Avenue, Suite 204
Pierre, SD 57501