ballotbymail.org · nonpartisan
Voting by mail in South Dakota
Yes. Anyone can request a mail ballot. Any registered voter can request a mail (absentee) ballot, no reason needed. There's a deadline, so request early.
Key dates
| Register to vote by | Mon, Oct 19 |
| Mail ballot request received by | Mon, Nov 2, 5 p.m., in person |
| Early in-person voting | Fri, Sep 18 – Mon, Nov 2 |
| Mail your ballot by | Tue, Oct 27 (USPS: allow 7 days) |
| Election Day | Tue, Nov 3 |
| ID at the polls | Photo ID requested. Without one: Sign a personal identification affidavit and vote a regular ballot - no follow-up. |
| Return rule | Must reach your county election official on Election Day in time to be delivered to your precinct before polls close, so effectively by mid-afternoon. |
| Missed the request deadline? | Voters confined by sickness or disability: by Tue, Nov 3, 3 p.m. (application received). |
| Who can return it for you | A person you designate may return it. You return the ballot by mail, in person, or by giving it to an authorized absentee ballot messenger to deliver in person. No other third-party return is listed; drop boxes aren't mentioned. |
Steps
- Request your ballot now. Don't wait for the deadline.
- Confirm your registration and mailing address while you're at it.
- When it arrives, fill it out in blue or black ink and sign the envelope.
- Return it by drop box or in person if you can. Mail it at least a week early if not.
- Track it on your state's tracker until it shows received.
Don't get rejected
- Sign the envelope the way you signed your voter registration or driver's license. Your state compares them.
- Use the secrecy sleeve if one is included, then the return envelope. Don't tape anything.
- Keep the phone and email on your registration current. If there's a problem, that's how they reach you to fix it.
https://sdsos.gov/elections-voting/voting/absentee-voting.aspx
https://vip.sdsos.gov/VIPLogin.aspx
https://vip.sdsos.gov/VIPLogin.aspx
ballotbymail.org/state/sd
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Rules checked 2026-09-09; deadlines checked 2026-09-09. Sources: NCSL, Vote.org, CEIR, state election offices. The official site wins if anything differs. Free to copy and post.