2016 Election History

2016 Primary and General Election

Date of South Dakota's 2016 Primary Election - June 7, 2016
Voter Registration Deadline - May 23, 2016
Absentee voting begins - April 22, 2016

2016 Primary Election Stats

Registered Voters for the June Primary (active and inactive voters): 574,990
Ballots cast for the June Primary: 126,128
Voter Turnout: 21.94%

Absentee Ballots Requested: 19,444
Absentee Ballots Received: 17,553
Ballots Rejected: 60

Date of South Dakota's 2016 General Election - November 8, 2016
Voter Registration Deadline for 2016 General Election - October 24, 2016
Absentee voting begins - September 23, 2016

2016 General Election Stats

Registered Voters for the General Election (active only): 544,393
Ballots cast for the General Election: 378,995
Voter Turnout: 69.62%

Absentee Ballots Requested: 104,715
Absentee Ballots Received: 102,390
Ballots Rejected: 378

2016 Election Calendar

2016 General Election Candidate List

2016 Primary Election Candidate List

2016 Candidate Financial Interest Statements

The statements filed are not audited. State law requires the candidate to disclose the information. The Secretary of State does not have the authority to further review.

Article 3 Section 12 of the South Dakota State Constitution governs legislators with respect to conflicts of interest.

2016 Presidential Electoral College Certificate of Vote

2016 Primary Election Precincts & Polling Places Per County

2016 General Election Polling Locations

2016 General Information on South Dakota Elections

Unofficial 2016 General Election Results

2016 General Election Official Results State Canvass

2016 General Election Official State Canvass Recount

Unofficial 2016 Primary Election Results

2016 Primary Election Official Results State Canvass

2016 Primary Election Official State Canvass of Legislative Districts 16 and 30 Recounts

2016 Official Election Returns and Registration Figures

State Party Certification of Candidates (which include electors)

• 2016 Constitution Party of South Dakota State Convention Candidate Certification
• 2016 South Dakota Democratic Party State Convention Candidate Certification
• 2016 South Dakota Republican Party State Convention Candidate Certification
• 2016 South Dakota Libertarian Party State Convention Candidate Certification

National Party President and Vice President Candidate Certification

• Constitution Party Certificate of Nomination for President and Vice President
• Democratic Party Certificate of Nomination for President and Vice President
• Libertarian Party Certificate of Nomination for President and Vice President
• Republican Party Certificate of Nomination for President and Vice President

2016 Ballot Questions

Ballot Question Info Pamphlet

Listen to the 2016 Ballot Question Pamphlet

Attorney General's Yes/No Recitations

2016 Statewide Ballot Measures Full Text Document

Legislative Research Council Comments for 2016 Ballot Measures

• Constitutional Amendment S
• Initiated Measure 22

Random Sample Invalid Rate on Statewide Ballot Measure Petitions

2016 Ballot Question Tracking Spreadsheet

2016 Ballot Question Sponsor Contact Information

Statewide constitutional amendments, initiated and referred measures, receiving approval by a majority vote, will become effective the day after the State Canvass.

2016 General Election Ballot Measures

2016 Ballot Measures	Petition	Bill #	Date Certified	AG's Statement	Challenged	Fiscal Impact
Constitutional Amendment R - (2015) Constitutional Amendment relating to the authority of the Board of Regents	N/A	HJR 1003	N/A	AG's Explanation	N/A	N/A
Referred Law 19 - An Act to revise certain provisions regarding elections and election petitions	Petition	SB 69	06/29/2015	AG's Explanation	N/A	N/A
Referred Law 20 - An Act to establish a youth minimum wage	Petition	SB 177	6/30/2015	AG's Explanation	N/A	N/A
Constitutional Amendment S - An initiated amendment to the South Dakota Constitution to expand the rights for crime victims	Petition	N/A	12/21/2015	AG's Explanation	N/A	N/A
Constitutional Amendment T - An initiated amendment to the South Dakota Constitution to provide for state legislative redistricting by a commission	Petition	N/A	12/24/2015	AG's Explanation	N/A	N/A
Initiated Measure 21 - An initiated measure to set a maximum finance charge for certain licensed money lenders (36%)	Petition	N/A	12/28/2015	AG's Explanation	Challenge submitted 01/27/2016 - Challenge unsuccessful	N/A
Constitutional Amendment U - An initiated amendment to the South Dakota Constitution limiting the ability to set statutory interest rates for loans (18%)	Petition	N/A	01/04/2016	AG's Explanation	Challenge submitted 02/03/2016 - Challenge unsuccessful	N/A
Initiated Measure 22 - An Act to revise certain provisions concerning campaign finance and lobbying, to create a democracy credit program, to establish an ethics commission, and to make an appropriation there for.	Petition	N/A	01/06/2016	AG's Explanation	N/A	Fiscal Impact Statement
Constitutional Amendment V - An initiated amendment  to the South Dakota Constitution establishing nonpartisan elections	Petition	N/A	01/08/2016	AG's Explanation	N/A	N/A
Initiated Measure 23 - An initiated measure to give certain organizations the right to charge fees	Petition	N/A	01/19/2016	AG's Explanation	N/A	N/A

Petitions that did not meet the signature requirements

1. Petition - An initiated measure to legalize marijuana for medical use- Sponsor confirmed 16,631 signatures submitted - Rejected 02/03/2016- Challenge submitted on 03/03/2016. Challenge unsuccessful, 05/27/2016.
   • Fiscal Impact Statement

Challenge Process
Challenges to all statewide initiatives and referendums must be brought within 30 days after the petition has been validated and filed by the Secretary of State (SDCL 12-1-13)

1. When does the 30 days start to run?
The 30 days starts to run once the petition is officially filed with the Secretary of State’s Office; the petition is only filed after the Office goes through the petition validation process and determines that the petition contains a sufficient number of signatures to be filed.

2. How will potential challengers know when their 30 days begins to run?
Once the Office makes a determination that there are a sufficient number of signatures such to file the petition, the Secretary of State’s Office will make that information publically available through social media, including twitter updates that are available on the Secretary of State’s website.

3.How is each petition labeled or marked?  How should challengers make arrangements to review the petitions?
The Secretary of State’s Office runs each self-contained petition through a scanner, which places the date, time and a sequential number on each petition. Challengers seeking to “research” the signatures pursuant to SDCL 12-1-13 should contact Kea Warne at the Secretary of State’s Office (605) 773-5003 to make the necessary arrangements.

4.How much does it cost for copies of the petition sheet?
The Secretary of State is required by state law to charge $2.00 per page for copies.  Copies of petitions are two pages due to the petition being printed front and back side which would calculate to a copy fee of $4.00 per petition.  This fee applies to both paper and electronic copies.

5. What order do you process the petitions in?
The Secretary of State's office will process each petition one at a time, and in the order in which they are received.

6. The petitions are not public documents until after the Secretary of State's Office has completed the validation process and either filed or rejected the petition.  No copies can be purchased until this process is completed for the particular petition of which copies are being requested.

2016 Ballot Question Committees
To search the campaign finance forms for the ballot question committees and other committees please click here.

2016 Candidate Calendar

• January 1, 2016
  • Primary Election and Independent candidates able to take out 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 register 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.
• February 1, 2016
  • 2015 Year End Campaign Finance Reports Due
• Petitions submitted to the Secretary of State's office:
  • March 29, 2016 for Primary Election candidates
  • April 26, 2016 for Independent candidates
• Candidate Financial Interest Statement must be filed in the office where your nominating petition or convention nomination certification was filed within 15 days after that filing.
• May 27, 2016
  • Pre-Primary Campaign Finance Reports
• June 7, 2016
  • Primary Election
• August 12, 2016
  • Post Primary Campaign Finance Report for Candidates who did not win their primary election and will NOT be on the general election ballot
• October 28, 2016
  • Pre-General Campaign Finance Report
• November 8, 2016
  • General Election
• Elected Official Oath of Office & Financial Interest Statement must be filed in the office where your nominating petition or convention nomination certification was filed within 15 days after taking your oath of office.
• February 6, 2017
  • 2016 Year End Campaign Finance Report

Number of Signers Required for 2016 Petitions

DEADLINES FOR SUBMISSION

• March 29, 2016 for Primary Election candidates (SDCL 12-6-4)
• April 26, 2016 for Independent candidates (SDCL 12-7-1)
• August 2, 2016 for Independent Presidential candidates (SDCL 12-7-7)

Download a petition

• A candidate running for office as part of a recognized political party, may only collect signatures from registered voters within that party.
• A voter may only sign petitions for the number of positions available
• A candidate running as an independent (no party affiliation) may collect signatures from any registered voter.

President

• Independent: 2,774 (1% of the total vote for Governor in 2014: 277,403) (SDCL 12-7-7)
• No petition is required to be submitted for recognized party candidate
• Presidential Candidate Ballot Access Pamphlet

U.S. Senate, U.S Representative

• Republican: 1,955 (1% of the vote for the 2014 Republican Gubernatorial candidate: 195,477) (SDCL 12-6-7)
• Democrat: 706 (1% of the vote for the 2014 Democrat Gubernatorial candidate: 70,549) (SDCL 12-6-7)
• Independent: 2,774 (1% of the total vote for Governor in 2014: 277,403) (SDCL 12-7-1)
• Newly Recognized Political Party: 250 (SDCL 12-5-1.4)

Form A New Political Party

• 6,936 (2.5% of total vote for Governor in 2014: 277,403) (SDCL 12-5-1)

State Legislators

• Republican and Democrat: 50 signatures or 1% of the vote for their party's Gubernatorial candidate in the 2014 election, whichever is less (SDCL 12-6-7.1)
• Independent candidate: signatures equal to 1% of the total vote for Governor in 2014 in their district (SDCL 12-7-1)
• New Political Party: Five (5) signatures (SDCL 12-5-1.4)

County Officials and Party Delegates (filed with county auditor) - Click here to view the County Signature Requirements

• Partisan Candidates: whichever is less, 50 signatures or 1% of the total vote for your political party's candidate for governor at the last gubernatorial election in the county or commissioner district (SDCL 12-6-7.1).  May only gather signatures from the political party the candidate is registered to vote with.
• Independent Candidates: signatures equal to 1% of the total vote for all candidates for governor at the last gubernatorial election in the county or commissioner district (SDCL 12-7-1).  May gather signatures from any registered voter.
• Newly Recognized Political Party: Five (5) signatures (SDCL 12-5-1.4)

Special Districts

• Heartland Consumer Power District Director: 50 signatures of registered voters of the district or subdivision of the district (SDCL 49-36-1.3)
• Water Development District Director: 25 signatures of registered voters in the director area (SDCL 46A-3B-4)
• Conservation District Supervisor: 25 signatures (SDCL 38-8-39)

Offices to be filled in the 2016 Elections

The following nominations are made in the closed party primary elections held on June 7, 2016:

• U.S. Senator - 6 year term
• U.S. Representative - 2 year term
• 105 Legislators (35 Senate, 70 House) - 2 year term
• County Commissioners - 4 year term
• States Attorney - 4 year term
• County Coroner - 4 year term
• County Treasurer - 4 year term
• Delegates to National Party Conventions (only if designated to be elected at a Primary Election in the party's bylaws) - 2 year term
• Precinct Committeeman and Committeewoman (only if designated to be elected at a Primary Election in the party's bylaws) - 2 year term

In those areas of the state which have the following types of districts, nominations are made in a nonpartisan primary election:

• Water Development District Directors - 4 year term
• Heartland Consumer Power District Directors - 6 year term

The following will be nominated at the 2016 state conventions of each political party:

• Public Utilities Commissioner - 6 year term
• 3 Presidential Electors

In those areas of the state which have the following types of districts, nominations are made in the general election.

• Conservation District Supervisor - 4 year term

2016 Political Party State Conventions

Libertarian Party of South Dakota
July 30, 2016
Best Western Ramkota
Aberdeen, SD

South Dakota Constitution Party State Convention
July 9, 2016
Main Downtown Library - 200 N. Dakota
Sioux Falls, SD

South Dakota Democratic Party State Convention
June 24-25, 2016
Downtown Holiday Inn
Sioux Falls, SD

South Dakota Republican Party State Convention
June 24-25, 2016
Best Western Ramkota
Aberdeen, SD

2016 Presidential Ballot Access

2016 Presidential Candidate Ballot Access in South Dakota Brochure

*South Dakota does not allow Write-In votes per SDCL 12-20-21.2

January 1, 2016

• Earliest day for independent candidates to circulate and file nominating petitions. (SDCL 12-7-1.1 and 12-7-7)

March 29, 2016

• Deadline for a new political party to file petitions, declaring organization, with the Secretary of State to participate in the presidential primary election. (SDCL 12-5-1)
• Deadline for new political party presidential candidates to file nominating petitions. (SDCL 12-5-3.14)
• Deadline for political parties to certify slates of national convention delegates to the Secretary of State for inclusion on the presidential primary ballot. (SDCL 12-5-3.8)

June 7, 2016

• Presidential and State Primary Election Day. (SDCL 12-2-1) South Dakota has a closed presidential and state primary election. The South Dakota Democratic Party does allow voters registered as no party affiliation/independent to vote in their primary election.

August 2, 2016

• Last day for independent presidential candidates to file nominating petitions with the Secretary of State. (SDCL 12-7-7)

November 8, 2016

• General Election Day

Primary Election Candidates
South Dakota has two recognized political parties which may participate in the primary election--the Democratic Party and the Republican Party. These parties have adopted procedures according to law (SDCL 12-5-3.6) for selection of their delegates to the national political party conventions. This information is available from the party central committees. Their addresses and phone numbers are as follows:

South Dakota Democratic Party
PO Box 1485
Sioux Falls, SD 57101
Phone (605) 271-5405

South Dakota Republican Party
PO Box 1099
Pierre, SD 57501-1099
Phone: (605) 224-7347

SDCL 12-5-3.8 provides "If a political party chooses to have a primary for selection of its delegates and alternates to the national convention, the party shall certify the candidate names or the delegate and alternate slates which are to be listed on the primary ballot to the Secretary of State by the last Tuesday in March preceding the primary by five p.m. Only candidates or slates certified may be placed on the ballot by the Secretary of State and the position of the candidates or slates on the primary ballot shall be chosen by lot by the Secretary of State. The certification shall be deemed to be filed if mailed by registered mail by five p.m. on the last Tuesday in March."

SDCL 12-5-3.14 provides "Any candidate, committee, or group supporting a candidate in any presidential primary, shall, by the last Tuesday in March prior to the presidential primary election, notify the Secretary of State of an intention to have the name of the candidate placed on the presidential primary election ballot or submit a slate of candidates or both."

New Political Parties
A political party may become a recognized party by filing the appropriate new party formation petitions containing 6,936 signatures of registered South Dakota voters (SDCL 12-5-1). These petitions must be filed by March 29, 2016. A recognized party would adopt their own procedures on how to select delegates to their national convention and would have their own party column on the general election ballot.

5:02:08:06. Form of declaration for new political party.

Independent Candidates
Independent candidates for president may be on the general election ballot by petition. Any person interested in becoming a candidate must file a certification with the Secretary of State indicating the name of the candidate's vice-presidential running mate prior to circulating petitions to put the names of the presidential electors on the general election ballot (SDCL 12-7-7).

The petitions must contain signatures of 2,774 registered South Dakota voters. Petitions may be circulated beginning on January 1, 2016, and filed between January 1, 2016 and August 2, 2016, with the Secretary of State.

Petition and certification forms are prescribed by the State Board of Elections and are available from the Secretary of State's Office.

5:02:08:05.01. Independent candidate declaration of candidacy and certification of running mate.

5:02:08:20. Certificate of nomination for Independent presidential electors.

General Information

• There are no separate campaign finance reporting requirements at the state level for federal candidates.
• South Dakota does not assess a filing fee for presidential candidates.
• Write-in votes are not allowed.
• South Dakota has three electoral votes.
• There are no requirements on the form of a candidate's name on a presidential primary ballot in South Dakota.

Process of Presidential Candidacy in South Dakota
A presidential candidate must submit a letter of intent (on his/her campaign letterhead including the signature of the candidate) by the filing deadline. The state political party must also certify that candidate and a slate of delegates for that candidate by the filing deadline.

The presidential primary candidates are listed on the primary election ballot along with a slate of delegates & alternates (which are certified to our office from the state political party) for that candidate. The slate of delegates & alternates that receives the most votes are elected as the winner.  The presidential primary races are really just electing the slate of delegates & alternates that will attend the national convention to vote for that party’s candidate to be certified by the national political party as the party candidate for the general election. So you will see the candidate names on the primary ballot and you mark the candidate of your choice, but you are really voting for the slate of delegates listed for that candidate. The national political party will determine which candidate will be certified to the states as their party candidate for the general election (only one candidate per party can be certified). 

The national political party will certify the name of the candidate to the Secretary of State. The state convention shall nominate candidates for presidential electors. The general election ballot will list the name of the presidential candidate along with his/her vice president and underneath those names it will state “electors.” The candidate that is elected will allow those three electors to meet in the Governor’s Office on the date directed by the United States Congress to perform their duties of casting South Dakota’s three electoral votes for that party’s presidential/vice presidential candidates.

12-24-1.   Elector's notice to Governor of readiness to perform duties--Certificate of names presented to electors. Each elector of President and vice president of the United States shall, before the hour of eleven o'clock in the morning of the day fixed by the act of Congress to elect a President and vice president, give notice to the Governor that he is at the seat of government and ready at the proper time to perform the duties of an elector; and the Governor shall forthwith deliver to the electors present a certificate of all the names of the electors.

12-24-2. Replacement of elector failing to appear. If any elector named in the Governor's certificate fails to appear before nine o'clock in the morning of the day of election of President and vice president as aforesaid, the electors there present shall immediately proceed to elect by ballot, in the presence of the Governor, a person to fill such vacancy. If more than one person voted for to fill such vacancy shall have the highest and an equal number of votes, the Governor, in the presence of the electors attending, shall decide by lot which of such persons shall be elected.

12-24-3.   Notice to and powers of elector chosen to fill vacancy. Immediately after such choice is made, the name of the person so chosen shall forthwith be certified to the Governor by the electors making such choice; and the Governor shall cause notice to be immediately given, in writing, to the elector chosen to fill such vacancy; and the person so chosen shall be an elector and shall meet the other electors at the same time and place, and then and there discharge all and singular the duties enjoined upon him as an elector by the Constitution and laws of the United States and of this state.

12-24-4.   Time and place of performance of constitutional duties by electors. The electors of President and vice president shall, at twelve noon on the day which is or may be directed by the Congress of the United States, meet at the seat of government of this state and then and there perform the duties enjoined upon them by the Constitution and laws of the United States.

12-24-5.   Compensation and mileage of electors. The electors shall receive the same compensation per diem and the same mileage as members of the Legislature.

Electoral College Process:

• The Electoral College is a process, not a place. The founding fathers established it in the Constitution as a compromise between election of the President by a vote in Congress and election of the President by a popular vote of qualified citizens.
• The Electoral College process consists of the selection of the electors, the meeting of the electors where they vote for President and Vice President, and the counting of the electoral votes by Congress.
• The Electoral College consists of 538 electors. A majority of 270 electoral votes is required to elect the President. Your state’s entitled allotment of electors equals the number of members in its Congressional delegation: one for each member in the House of Representatives plus two for your Senators. Read more about the allocation of electoral votes.
• Under the 23rd Amendment of the Constitution, the District of Columbia is allocated 3 electors and treated like a state for purposes of the Electoral College. For this reason, in the following discussion, the word “state” also refers to the District of Columbia.
• Each candidate running for President in your state has his or her own group of electors. The electors are generally chosen by the candidate’s political party, but state laws vary on how the electors are selected and what their responsibilities are. Read more about the qualifications of the Electors and restrictions on who the Electors may vote for.
• The presidential election is held every four years on the Tuesday after the first Monday in November. You help choose your state’s electors when you vote for President because when you vote for your candidate you are actually voting for your candidate’s electors.
• Most states have a “winner-take-all” system that awards all electors to the winning presidential candidate. However, Maine and Nebraska each have a variation of “proportional representation.” Read more about the allocation of Electors among the states and try to predict the outcome of the Electoral College vote.
• After the presidential election, your governor prepares a “Certificate of Ascertainment” listing all of the candidates who ran for President in your state along with the names of their respective electors. The Certificate of Ascertainment also declares the winning presidential candidate in your state and shows which electors will represent your state at the meeting of the electors in December of the election year. Your state’s Certificates of Ascertainments are sent to the Congress and the National Archives as part of the official records of the presidential election. See the key upcoming election dates and information about the roles and responsibilities of state officials, the Office of the Federal Register and the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA), and the Congress in the Electoral College process.
• The meeting of the electors takes place on the first Monday after the second Wednesday in December after the presidential election. The electors meet in their respective states, where they cast their votes for President and Vice President on separate ballots. Your state’s electors’ votes are recorded on a “Certificate of Vote,” which is prepared at the meeting by the electors. Your state’s Certificates of Votes are sent to the Congress and the National Archives as part of the official records of the presidential election. See the key upcoming election dates and information about the roles and responsibilities of state officials and the Congress in the Electoral College process.
• Each state’s electoral votes are counted in a joint session of Congress on the 6th of January in the year following the meeting of the electors. Members of the House and Senate meet in the House chamber to conduct the official tally of electoral votes. (On December 28, 2012, President Obama signed Pub.L. 112-228, as passed by both houses of Congress, moving the day of the vote count from January 6, 2013 (a Sunday) to January 4, 2013.) See the key upcoming election dates and information about the role and responsibilities of Congress in the Electoral College process.
• The Vice President, as President of the Senate, presides over the count and announces the results of the vote. The President of the Senate then declares which persons, if any, have been elected President and Vice President of the United States.
• The President-Elect takes the oath of office and is sworn in as President of the United States on January 20th in the year following the Presidential election.

Distribution of Electoral Votes
Electoral votes are allocated based on the Census. 
The allocations below are based on the 2010 Census. 
They are effective for the 2012, 2016, and 2020 presidential elections.
Total Electoral Votes: 538;  Majority Needed to Elect: 270

State	Number of Electoral Votes
Alabama	9
Alaska	3
Arizona	11
Arkansas	6
California	55
Colorado	9
Connecticut	7
Delaware	3
District of Columbia	3
Florida	29
Georgia	16
Hawaii	4
Idaho	4
Illinois	20
Indiana	11
Iowa	6
Kansas	6
Kentucky	8
Louisiana	8
Maine	4
Maryland	10
Massachusetts	11
Michigan	16
Minnesota	10
Mississippi	6
Missouri	10
Montana	3
Nebraska	5
Nevada	6
New Hampshire	4
New Jersey	14
New Mexico	5
New York	29
North Carolina	15
North Dakota	3
Ohio	18
Oklahoma	7
Oregon	7
Pennsylvania	20
Rhode Island	4
South Carolina	9
South Dakota	3
Tennessee	11
Texas	38
Utah	6
Vermont	3
Virginia	13
Washington	12
West Virginia	5
Wisconsin	10
Wyoming	3

Primary Election Precincts & Polling Places Per County
View 2016 Primary Election Precincts & Polling Places Per County

Recognized Political Parties
View Recognized Political Parties

Candidates may withdraw from the General Election by filling out the Candidate’s Request to Withdraw Nomination form.

Deadlines for withdrawal and vacancies to be filled:

• The deadline to withdraw from the November 8th General Election is August 2nd at 5:00 pm. SDCL 12-6-55
• The deadline for the party central committee(s) to fill party candidate vacancies is August 9th at 5:00 pm. SDCL 12-8-6, 12-6-56 and 12-6-57.
• SDCL 12-7 does not reference a replacement option if an independent candidate withdraws

Certificate of Nomination to Fill Vacancy Form

NOTE: Municipalities and School Districts have different statutes regarding withdrawing. Please refer to SDCL 9-13-7.1 and 13-7-7 for those details.

NOTE: Withdrawal request forms are submitted to the election official where the candidate submitted his/her petitions to initially.

How to Circulate a Nominating Petition for Statewide, Legislative or County Office