RAPID CITY, SD — Ahead of the election upcoming on January 20th, we here at the Rapid City Post remind the folks of Rapid City to sign up to vote, and that the deadline for registration in this or any election is 15 days prior to election.
With this reminder in mind, for first-time voters or those needing to update information, we’ve put together a short walkthrough to make the often-daunting process of government bureaucracy as simple as possible.
Check Your Registration Status
If you think you’re registered already, make sure to double-check using South Dakota’s Voter Registration Name Search. Here, you can brush up on your polling place and double-check that your information is current. Name, address, and party affiliation changes should be addressed prior to participation in a local or national election.
How to Register
Though South Dakota does not currently offer digital options for voter registration, you do have some options when it comes to voting; however both mail-in and in-person registration options use registration forms available on the South Dakota Secretary of States’ website, and as such familiarizing yourself with this document is fairly important regardless of registration method.
In state and federal elections, the same restrictions largely apply. According to the SD Secretary of State one wishing to vote in South Dakota Must:
- Be a United States citizen
- Reside in South Dakota
- Be at least 18 years old on or before the next election
- Not be currently serving a sentence for a felony conviction
- Not be judged mentally incompetent by a court of law
For in-person registration, one may register to vote directly by bringing a filled registration form to a County Auditor’s Office, DMV, City Finance Office, Agency offices providing food stamps (TANF or WIC) or Military Recruitment Offices.
For those wishing to sign up by mail, registration must still be received 15 days prior to election day, so keep delivery time in mind. A prospective voter may mail their registration to their County Auditor to be processed (For a list of auditor addresses by county: click here). For the upcoming election, Pennington county voters can address registrations to Auditor Sabrina Green at PO Box 6160 Rapid City, SD 57709. This must be done by physical mail-in, and both faxed and emailed forms are not acceptable under South Dakota Law.
After the registration is received and processed, congratulations! You’re registered to vote. You can report to your polling location and make your voice heard in the halls of government.
Note: Those wanting to vote using absentee ballots are going to want to submit a separate Absentee Request Form and deliver it to their County Auditor promptly. This may be done in-person at any time prior to the election, however absentee ballots must be received by mail before polling closes in order to be counted. Anyone unable to attend at a polling location on the day of the election is eligible to vote via absentee ballot.
