SB171 changes how South Dakota counties handle absentee ballots by requiring election officials to deliver lists of absentee voters to each precinct and update those lists throughout election day, and it adds new procedures for verifying absentee ballot envelopes. The bill also repeals one outdated absentee ballot statute and modifies several others to streamline the processing and counting of absentee ballots at the precinct level.
The amendment clarifies absentee ballot processing procedures by removing a provision that allowed ballots from precincts with ten or fewer absentee voters to be counted locally, instead directing all absentee ballots to a centralized absentee ballot precinct when one is created. This change STRENGTHENS the bill's focus on standardized, centralized absentee ballot processing.
The amendment makes technical and procedural refinements to absentee ballot processing rules, including clarifying language about ballot envelope handling, changing "a person" to "an individual" in penalty provisions, and shifting authority for creating absentee ballot precincts from counties to "the person in charge of the election"—NARROWING the bill's scope to focus on cleaner technical corrections rather than substantive policy changes.
Signed by the Governor S.J. 550
Delivered to the Governor S.J. 539
Signed by the Speaker H.J. 560
Signed by the President S.J. 525
Senate Concurred in amendments Passed, YEAS 32, NAYS 2. S.J. 511
House of Representatives Do Pass Amended Passed, YEAS 56, NAYS 11. H.J. 526
State Affairs Do Pass Amended Passed, YEAS 11, NAYS 0.
State Affairs Motion to amend
State Affairs Scheduled for hearing
House of Representatives Referred to House State Affairs H.J. 262
First Reading House H.J. 247
Senate Do Pass Passed, YEAS 32, NAYS 2. S.J. 201
State Affairs Do Pass Passed, YEAS 9, NAYS 0. S.J. 15
State Affairs Scheduled for hearing
First read in Senate and referred to Senate State Affairs S.J. 141
Prime sponsor · Rep.
R
Prime sponsor · Sen.
R
Concurred in amendments
Do Pass Amended
State Affairs — Do Pass Amended
Do Pass
State Affairs — Do Pass