Running for office in South Dakota

This page covers what's specific to South Dakota. Start with the general guide for the steps every candidate follows regardless of state.

Filing in South Dakota

South Dakota candidates qualify for the ballot by circulating nominating petitions rather than paying a filing fee. There's currently no option to pay a fee instead of gathering signatures for any office, despite a proposal floated by the Deputy Secretary of State in late 2025 that hasn't been adopted. Where you file depends on the office: state, federal, and state legislative candidates file with the Secretary of State, while county office candidates file with their County Auditor.

Signature counts are a percentage of the party's vote total in the last gubernatorial election, so the number changes with turnout each cycle. Confirm the current-cycle number on the Secretary of State's signature requirements page before circulating petitions.

Deadlines and numbers

• 2026 primary election nominating petitions due by 5:00 p.m. on March 31, 2026
• Independent candidates running directly for the general election: due by 5:00 p.m. on April 28, 2026
• Statement of Organization due within 15 days of becoming a candidate. Financial Interest Statement due within 15 days of filing your petition
• Statewide signature thresholds for 2026: 2,171 (Republican), 1,232 (Democrat), 741 (Libertarian), 3,502 (independent), each based on 1 percent of the party's 2022 gubernatorial vote total
• Legislative and county candidates need 1 percent of the party's top statewide vote total within their district or county, with a lower alternate threshold in smaller districts

The dossier could not pin down the exact statutory citation for the alternate "50 signatures" threshold used in smaller legislative and county districts. If that number matters for your race, ask in /engage or confirm with your County Auditor.

Where to go

• sdsos.gov's Nominating Petitions page for petition forms, the candidate filing calendar, and current signature requirement tables by office
• Your County Auditor's office for county-level filing