Voters with questions about the general election today (Tues.) can turn to a state agency website for answers.
Secretary of State Shantel Krebs says her office’s website, https://vip.sdsos.gov/VIPLogin.aspx, provides a variety of election information.
Secretary Krebs reminds registered voters that they must provide a photo identification card (ID) when voting, including:
• a South Dakota driver’s license or nondriver identification card,
• a passport or an identification card issued by an agency of the United States government,
• a tribal identification card; or
• a current student identification card issued by a high school or an accredited institution of higher education, including a university, college, or technical school, located within the State of South Dakota.
If a voter does not have a photo ID, they must be given the option to sign a personal identification affidavit and vote a regular ballot.
An employer who refuses an employee the privilege to vote or who subjects an employee to a penalty or reduction of wages because of the exercise of such privilege or who directly or indirectly violates this state law is guilty of a Class 2 misdemeanor.
If the event of confinement due to sickness or disability those voters can use an authorized messenger to bring their ballot to them. The voter can request to have an authorized messenger (person of the voter’s choice) by filling out an application for absentee ballot including the authorized messenger portion on the bottom of that application. This process can be used during absentee voting and on Election Day. The deadline to submit the application for absentee ballot request by an authorized messenger on Election Day is 3:00 pm local time.
South Dakota law allows poll watchers and observers to be present to observe the voting and counting activity at polling places and provides guidelines for poll watchers and observers.
Any person present at a polling place to observe who does not declare themselves to represent one of the categories below is not a poll watcher but is an observer. ARSD 05:02:12 establishes the number of poll watchers allowed at each polling place for the following elections:
•Primary – ONE for each candidate, ONE for each slate of national convention delegates, ONE for each side of any ballot issue
•General – ONE for each party, ONE for each independent candidate, ONE for each slate of presidential electors, ONE for each side of any ballot issue
*additional poll watchers are allowed if “adequate space” permits
•No person is allowed to view the contents of a voter’s voted ballot (SDCL 12-18-27).
• Those NOT allowed as Poll Watchers:
• Election Board Workers
• Candidates on the ballot (cannot be an Observer either)
• Poll watchers must be positioned in a location where they can plainly see and hear what is done within the polling place but may not interfere in any way (SDCL 12-18-9). Poll watchers and observers may converse with the election board and look at the pollbook only if it doesn’t interfere with the voting process.
• Within 100 feet of a polling place (includes absentee voting polling places), poll watchers and observers MAY NOT do any of the following (SDCL 12-18-3, 12-18-9.1, 12-26-21, 12-26-22):
• Campaign or wear buttons or clothing containing campaign information
• Solicit votes for or against any person, political part or ballot question position
• Maintain an “office or public-address system”
• Interfere with a voter’s free access to the polling place
• Interfere with the officials’ actions of the election board
• Disrupt the administration of the polling place
• Use any communication or photographic device in any manner which repeatedly distracts, interrupts or intimidates any voter or election worker
• See into voting booths, read identifying numbers on a photo identification cards or interfere with voters in the act of voting or with the official action of the election board
• Disobey a lawful command of any election worker
• Cause a disturbance or breach of peace
• Engage in disorderly conduct such as threatening behavior or making unreasonable noise
• Gather petition signatures
• Use the polling place telephone designated for the election board
• Take any unilateral steps to change any action, inaction or activity occurring at the polling place
• Advocate for or against a voter as the voter interacts with the election board
If a poll watcher or observer has a concern or question about any action occurring in the polling place, that person should bring this concern to the attention of the precinct superintendent. It is then the superintendent’s responsibility to respond to that question or concern.
If at the polls, you feel that you were not being allowed to vote for some reason, you may call the 800 number that will be posted in the voting area. You may also call the county auditor’s office, which will also be noted on the posters. Please be sure to make that phone call before you leave the voting precinct location.
There are TWO posters at every polling location with a phone number to report if a citizen’s voting rights are being violated. Our office encourages that person to call immediately and not wait until after the election.
The polls are open until 7pm local time. If your voting rights have been violated, you may call the person in charge of the election in your county, the Secretary of State at 888-703-5328, or your state’s attorney.
