Voting
Poll Times
7 a.m. - 7 p.m.
ID Requirements
Photo identification is required:
South Dakota driver's license or nondriver ID card
U.S. government photo ID
U.S. passport
U.S. Armed Forces ID
Current student photo ID card from a South Dakota high school or South Dakota accredited institution of higher education
Tribal photo ID
Can I vote by mail in South Dakota?
Yes! You just need to request a ballot if you haven't already requested one.
Can I submit an application online?
No. You must mail an application to request your ballot. Download it by tapping the button below
What's the deadline to request a mail-in ballot?
Your application must be received by 5 p.m. on Nov. 2., the day before Election Day.
What's the deadline to submit my ballot?
Your ballot must be received by your county election official on Election Day, in enough time to deliver your ballot to your voting precinct before polls close.
Early voting
Sept. 18
Members of the military, their families, and US citizens living overseas can request a ballot to vote from anywhere in the world.
What's on my ballot?
Candidates & Races
Biography
Joseph Robinette "Joe" Biden, Jr. (b. November 20, 1942, in Scranton, Pennsylvania) is the former Democratic vice president of the United States, serving under President Barack Obama (D) from January 20, 2009, to January 20, 2017. He previously served as a U.S. senator from Delaware from 1973 to 2009.
On April 25, 2019, Biden announced that he was running for president of the United States in 2020. With the plurality of pledged delegates, Biden became the presumptive Democratic nominee on April 8, 2020, after Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) suspended his presidential campaign. Biden crossed the delegate threshold necessary to win the nomination on June 5, 2020, and was formally nominated at the 2020 Democratic National Convention on August 18, 2020.
Biden announced U.S. Sen. Kamala Harris (D) as his running mate on August 11, 2020. He called her "a fearless fighter for the little guy, and one of the country’s finest public servants." Harris is the first Black woman to appear on a major party's ticket in the United States.
On January 12, 2017, President Barack Obama awarded Biden the Presidential Medal of Freedom for his lifetime of public service, marking the final time Obama would present the nation's highest civilian honor. Biden received the award with distinction, an additional honor given only to Pope John Paul II, former President Ronald Reagan, and retired Gen. Colin Powell in the previous three administrations.
Biography
Donald John Trump (b. June 14, 1946, in Queens, New York) is the 45th and current president of the United States. He assumed office on January 20, 2017. He filed to run for re-election on the same day.
Key policy initiatives during Trump's first term include the United States withdrawing from the Iran nuclear deal, the passage of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 and First Step Act in 2018, reducing the size of the ISIS caliphate, and establishing the Space Force as an independent military branch. Trump has made more than 200 federal judicial appointments, including two U.S. Supreme Court justices.
During his presidency, Trump has issued eight vetoes. To read more about these vetoes, click here.
On December 18, 2019, Trump became the third president in U.S. history to be impeached by the U.S. House. The U.S. Senate acquitted Trump on both charges of abuse of power and obstruction of Congress on February 5, 2020.
Biography
Kamala Devi Harris (b. October 20, 1964, in Oakland, California) is a Democratic member of the U.S. Senate from California. Harris was first elected to the Senate in 2016. She became the second Black woman elected to the U.S. Senate and the first Indian American to serve in the chamber.
Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden announced Harris was his running mate on August 11, 2020. He called her "a fearless fighter for the little guy, and one of the country’s finest public servants." Harris is the first Black woman to appear on a major party's ticket in the United States.
Harris previously ran for president of the United States, entering the race on January 21, 2019. She suspended her presidential campaign on December 3, 2019, and endorsed Biden on March 8, 2020.
Harris is the former attorney general of California. She served in the position from 2011 to 2017. She also served as San Francisco's district attorney from 2004 to 2011.
Biography
Michael Richard "Mike" Pence (b. June 7, 1959, in Columbus, Indiana) is the 48th vice president of the United States, serving in President Donald Trump's (R) administration. He was elected on November 8, 2016, and sworn in on January 20, 2017.
Pence served as the 50th governor of Indiana from 2013 to 2017. As governor, Pence signed into law a 5 percent individual income tax cut in Indiana. He also supported the Indiana Religious Freedom Restoration Act in 2015, allowing individuals and businesses to exert a right to the free exercise of religion. In his first year in office, FiveThirtyEight ranked him as the second most conservative governor in the country.
From 2001 to 2013, Pence served as a Republican member of the U.S. House of Representatives. During his final year in the House, Pence was rated a far-right Republican leader based on an analysis of bill sponsorship by GovTrack.
Pence's press secretary stated that Pence tested negative for coronavirus on March 21, 2020. Pence was tested after one of his staffers tested positive. Click here for more information on political figures impacted by coronavirus.
Biography
Dan Ahlers (Democratic Party) is running for election to the U.S. Senate to represent South Dakota. He is on the ballot in the general election on November 3, 2020. The Democratic primary for this office on June 2, 2020, was canceled.
Ahlers (Democratic Party) was a member of the South Dakota House of Representatives, representing District 25. He assumed office on January 10, 2017. He left office on January 7, 2019.
Ahlers is a former Democratic member of the South Dakota House of Representatives, representing District 25 from 2017 to 2019. Ahlers was defeated in the general election on November 6, 2018.
Ahlers served in the South Dakota State Senate, representing District 25 from 2009 to 2011. He also served in the state House from 2006 to 2008.
Biography
Mike Rounds (Republican Party) is a member of the U.S. Senate from South Dakota. He assumed office on January 6, 2015. His current term ends on January 3, 2021.
Rounds (Republican Party) is running for re-election to the U.S. Senate to represent South Dakota. He is on the ballot in the general election on November 3, 2020. He advanced from the Republican primary on June 2, 2020.
Rounds served as governor of South Dakota from 2003 to 2011.
He was also a member of the South Dakota State Senate from 1991-2001. From 1995 to 2000, he held the leadership position of Senate majority leader. He was born in South Dakota and has 10 younger siblings.
Initiatives
A "yes" vote supports the constitutional amendment to legalize the recreational use of marijuana and require the South Dakota State Legislature to pass laws providing for the use of medical marijuana and the sale of hemp by April 1, 2022.
A "no" vote opposes legalizing marijuana for recreational use and requiring the state legislature to pass laws providing for the use of medical marijuana and the sale of hemp.
A "yes" vote supports amending the state constitution to authorize the South Dakota State Legislature to legalize sports betting within the city limits of Deadwood, South Dakota, with all net municipal proceeds (defined) dedicated to the Deadwood Historic Restoration and Preservation Fund.
A "no" vote opposes authorizing the legislature to legalize sports betting in Deadwood.
A "yes" vote supports establishing a medical marijuana program in South Dakota for individuals with a debilitating medical condition.
A "no" vote opposes establishing a medical marijuana program in South Dakota for individuals with a debilitating medical condition.
Election News
