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S.D. Codified Laws § 12-19-44

Counting process open to poll watchers--Reasonable distance--Records associating voter with ballot prohibited--Penalty

Source: SL 1976, ch 108, § 5; SL 2023, ch 51, § 16; SL 2026, ch 73, § 5, eff

The process of sorting, validating, processing, and counting absentee ballots must be open to poll watchers for the purpose of observing the process.

A poll watcher shall keep a reasonable distance from ballots and identification information to protect the privacy of absentee voters. No record associating an individual voter with a ballot may be created.

A violation of this section is a Class 2 misdemeanor.

Official source: South Dakota Legislature. Reproduced from public-domain South Dakota statutes; confirm against the official source for the current text. Not legal advice.