House Bill 142

An Act concerning Election Law – Voting Order Priority – Individuals Who Need Extra Assistance

Summary: This bill requires the chief election judge to give priority to certain individuals who need extra assistance when voting. These individuals can request priority from any election judge at a polling place or early voting center. The chief election judge will determine if the individual qualifies based on certain criteria. Qualifying individuals will be moved to the front of lines, have first preference for using the ballot marking device or voting booth, and be prioritized for scanning a completed ballot. The State Board of Elections will adopt regulations to implement this bill.

Effective Date: January 1, 2021

House Bill 1051, also known as An Act to revise certain provisions regarding public access to voter registration data, was passed in the 95th Legislative Session of the South Dakota Legislature. The bill aims to amend Section 12-4-9 of the state's laws.

Section 12-4-9 currently requires county auditors to maintain a master registration file, which is a computer file containing information about each registered voter in the county. This file is open to public inspection during office hours. However, the bill prohibits public access to certain sensitive information, such as social security numbers, driver license numbers, and dates of birth. These details are not allowed to be included in the master registration file.

The master registration file should include all information from each voter's registration card, as well as the date of the last election the voter participated in and when their information was last updated. It may also contain additional voter history information. Any voter registration forms for purged or unregistered voters must be kept for twenty-two months, but no purged or unregistered voters should be included in the master registration file.

The bill has undergone the necessary legislative processes and has been enrolled as law. It was approved by the Governor and filed with the Office of the Secretary of State.

House Bill 1051, also known as An Act to revise certain provisions regarding public access to voter registration data, was passed in the 95th Legislative Session of the South Dakota Legislature. The bill aims to amend Section 12-4-9 of the state's laws.

Section 12-4-9 currently requires county auditors to maintain a master registration file, which is a computer file containing information about each registered voter in the county. This file is open to public inspection during office hours. However, the bill prohibits public access to certain sensitive information, such as social security numbers, driver license numbers, and dates of birth. These details are not allowed to be included in the master registration file.

The master registration file should include all information from each voter's registration card, as well as the date of the last election the voter participated in and when their information was last updated. It may also contain additional voter history information. Any voter registration forms for purged or unregistered voters must be kept for twenty-two months, but no purged or unregistered voters should be included in the master registration file.

The bill has undergone the necessary legislative processes and has been enrolled as law. It was approved by the Governor and filed with the Office of the Secretary of State.