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provide for voter registration through an online voter registration system provided by the Office of the Secretary of State.

South Dakota will create an online voter registration system run by the Secretary of State that allows eligible voters with a valid state driver's license or ID card to register to vote online. This adds a new registration method alongside existing options like registering in person at county auditor offices, driver's license locations, and social service agencies. The change makes voter registration more convenient while county auditors continue to maintain and oversee all voter registration records.

revise certain requirements for absentee ballots and to declare an emergency.

During a public health crisis, voters can submit a personal identification affidavit instead of providing an oath or a copy of their ID card with their absentee ballot application. The affidavit requires voters to provide their name, address, date of birth, and a driver's license number, nondriver ID number, or last four digits of their Social Security number, signed under penalty of perjury. This temporary measure was set to expire on August 1, 2020.

authorize counties to impose a temporary voter-approved half-cent sales and use tax and to issue revenue bonds to fund certain county infrastructure construction.

HB 1099 allows South Dakota counties to impose a temporary half-cent sales tax on purchases if voters approve it, and to issue bonds backed by that tax revenue to pay for county infrastructure projects like roads or buildings. The bill repeals two existing sections of law (§2-5-2 and §2-5-3) that previously governed county sales taxes, replacing them with these new voter-approved temporary tax rules.

require that school district elections occur in conjunction with the general election.

# HB 1177 Summary School districts must now hold their elections on the same day as the general election in November, rather than at separate times during the year. This change consolidates when South Dakotans vote on school board candidates and funding measures with statewide and federal elections.

revise certain provisions regarding local referendums.

This bill extends the deadline for county residents to challenge local ordinances and resolutions through a referendum petition from 20 days to 40 days after publication. It also delays when ordinances take effect from the 20th day after publication to the 40th day after publication, giving citizens more time to organize a referendum before the rule goes into force.

revise certain provisions regarding the voting rights of felony offenders.

This bill changes how South Dakota removes people from voter registration lists by requiring automatic removal of anyone currently incarcerated for a felony conviction, rather than allowing county auditors to decide whether to remove them. The bill also clarifies that the state must match voter registration records against felony conviction records maintained by the court system to identify and remove ineligible voters.

provide certain procedures regarding the effect of initiated measures and amendments.

This bill establishes a new rule for resolving conflicts when both South Dakota voters approve an initiated measure or constitutional amendment and the Legislature passes a law affecting the same topic. The initiated measure or amendment will take effect if it has a later effective date than the conflicting legislative act, or if both have the same effective date; additionally, if the Legislature repeals a law that voters just amended through an initiative, the voter-approved amendment will override the repeal.

revise the documentation required for voter registration.

This bill updates South Dakota's voter registration requirements to clarify what documents voters must provide when signing up to vote. Voters now need to submit either their South Dakota driver's license or ID number, or the last four digits of their Social Security number, with a special exception allowing those without any of these documents to register only at the county auditor's office after signing a verification statement. The bill also updates the language to use gender-neutral terms throughout.

establish a maximum on the number of words contained in a statement of a proponent or opponent for the ballot question pamphlet.

HB1049 sets a maximum word limit on statements from people supporting or opposing ballot measures that appear in South Dakota's official voter pamphlet. This change prevents lengthy arguments from taking up excessive space in the pamphlet, ensuring more balanced presentation of multiple viewpoints to voters.

remove the requirement for a ballot election in township elections if candidates are unopposed.

# HB 1144 Summary Township elections no longer require a formal ballot vote when all candidates running for a position are unopposed—instead, unopposed candidates are automatically elected. This change eliminates unnecessary election costs and procedures in townships where there is no actual contest between candidates.

revise provisions regarding the referral of opt outs made by school districts.

This bill establishes a process for voters to challenge a school district's decision to "opt out" of a state education funding requirement through a referendum election. Voters representing at least five percent of registered voters in the district can petition the school board by July 15th to force a vote, which must be held by October 1st of the year before the taxes would be collected. The bill applies only to tax levies that were approved before July 1, 2002.

revise the signature requirements for the nominating petitions for certain elected offices.

SB 183 changes the rules for how many signatures candidates need to collect on nominating petitions when running for certain elected offices in South Dakota. The bill modifies the current signature requirements found in state law, though the specific new numbers or affected offices are not fully detailed in the provided excerpt.

revise certain provisions regarding a municipal office nominating petition.

This bill removes the requirement that a nominating petition must meet all statutory requirements before the finance officer can accept it, instead allowing the officer to verify only that the petition has the minimum number of valid voter signatures and that the candidate is a registered voter. The change streamlines the nomination process by focusing verification on these key eligibility factors rather than requiring a broader compliance check.

authorize the use of Spanish in obtaining certain driver licenses and permits.

# SB 70 Summary Spanish-language driver license and permit tests are now available to applicants in South Dakota. This allows people who prefer to take the written exam in Spanish instead of English to obtain their driver licenses and permits.