Responsive Gov’s Grade TL;DR

After enacting several pieces of anti-voter legislation in 2023, this past year, the South Dakota State Legislature made a few positive changes to the state’s election laws. Because the state made some minor improvements and refrained from passing additional new voter restrictions this past year, South Dakota received a B on this year’s progress report.

Looking Back

Where South Dakota Started at the Beginning of 2024

• Automatic Voter Registration: No
• Online Voter Registration: No
• Same-Day Registration: Yes
• Restoration of Rights: Parole and/or Probation Disenfranchisement
• Vote by Mail: No-Excuse
• Electronic Registration Information Center Member: No
• Early Voting Opportunities: In-Person Absentee
• ID Requirements: ID Requested, but not Required

Relying on the Cost of Voting Index for South Dakota as of 2024, we considered the state a bottom tier state for pre-existing voting policy and compared its 2024 activity against other bottom tier states.

How Our Tier Compares

• COVI (2024): 40th
• EPI Score (2022): 44th
• CLC State Scorecard (2022): 4/10
• MAP Democracy Rating (2024): FAIR

2024: This Past Year

Legislative Action

The Legislature made relatively minor changes to elections laws this past year.

• SB 18 authorizes the secretary of state to share info from the statewide voter registration file with other states and jurisdictions to find duplicate registrations.
• HB 1182 reworks the rules around designated poll watcher and public access to the voting and counting process and creates criminal penalties for violating the rules.