South Dakota State and Local Government

The Green Papers: State and Local Government

South Dakota

Governor:	1	(Term Limit: 2 consecutive 4-year terms)
Senators:	2	(Electoral Classes 2 and 3)
2000 Representatives:	1	(0.23% of 435)
2002 Representatives:	1	(0.23% of 435)
2004 Electors:	3	(0.56% of 535)
1990 Census:	696,004	(0.28% of 248,765,170)
2000 Census:	756,874	(0.27% of 281,998,273)
Registered Voters (2000):	471,152
Estimated Voting age population (2000):	543,000
Capital:	Pierre

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States Alphabetically Current South Dakota Statewide Office Holders


Official Name/Status All States
	The STATE of South Dakota
	Organized as a Territory: 2 March 1861. 12 Stat. 239: along with what would become NORTH DAKOTA, was organized as "Dakota" Territory from what had previously been part of Nebraska Territory
	Admitted to the Union as a State: 2 November 1889 upon Proclamation by President Benjamin Harrison
	The 39th state.


Traditional Sections and Regions All States
	Section: MIDWEST
	Region: Great Plains
	Survey: Public Domain

Constitutions All States Links to State Constitutions

Enabling Act (of the Congress of the United States): 22 February 1889 [25 Stat. 676: authorizing formation of a State government and Admission thereafter]

• 1st (1889--) [Adopted: 1889 Convention convened, 4 July 1889, Ratified: 1 October 1889 ratified by a vote of 70,131 to 3,267; effective upon Admission, 2 November 1889. (A separate vote on Article 24- prohibiting the manufacture, sale and importation of intoxicating beverages- approved this provision by a vote of 40,324 to 34,590; a separate vote on Article 25- providing for minority [that is, proportional] representation in the legislature- rejected this provision by a vote of 46,200 to 24,161)]

Executive Branch All States

Chief Executive
	• GOVERNOR
Successor to a Vacancy
	• Lieutenant Governor [elected on same ticket with GOVERNOR; nominated with Governor as well]

Major Executive Officers Elected Statewide All States 2008 Office holders
	• Governor: 4 year term, Election Cycle: 2002, 2006. Term Limit: 2 consecutive 4-year terms
	• Lieutenant Governor: 4 year term, Election Cycle: 2002, 2006. Elected on a ticket with the Governor. No separate primaries for Gov and Lt Gov.
	• Secretary of State: 4 year term, Election Cycle: 2002, 2006
	• Attorney General: 4 year term, Election Cycle: 2002, 2006
	• Treasurer: 4 year term, Election Cycle: 2002, 2006
	• Auditor: 4 year term, Election Cycle: 2002, 2006
	• Commissioner of School and Public Lands: 4 year term, Election Cycle: 2002, 2006

Legislative Branch All States

Legislature
	• LEGISLATURE

Upper House
	• Senate
Lower House
	• House of Representatives

Judicial Branch All States

Court of Last Resort
	• Supreme Court

Local Government


PRIMARY CIVIL DIVISION All States
	• county [Type: Broad, Executive and Legislative: BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS]
	MINOR CIVIL DIVISION All States
		• township [Type: Limited, Executive and Legislative: Board of Supervisors]

Incorporated Municipalities All States

Statutory Election Information All States

General Election All States
	• Tuesday next after the 1st Monday in November of even-numbered years [SD Codified Laws 12-2-2]
Presidential Primary All States
	• at the same time as the State Primary [1st Tuesday in June of even-numbered years (SD Codified Laws 12-2-1)] in Presidential Election years [SD Codified Laws 12-5-3.11-- which provides that, in the absence of any other method of choosing National Convention delegates and alternates by a Party, said positions shall be elected in the State Primary]
State Primary All States
	• 1st Tuesday in June of even-numbered years [SD Codified Laws 12-2-1]. If no candidate for United States Senate, congressman, or Governor in a race involving three or more candidates receives thirty-five percent of the votes of his party, a secondary election shall be held two weeks from the date of the first primary election. At the secondary election the only persons voted for shall be the two candidates receiving the highest number of votes at the first election. [SD Codified Laws 12-6-51.1].
Polling times All States
	• Polls open: 7 AM local time Polls close: 7 PM local time 12-2-3. Opening and closing times for polls--Voters in line at closing time. At each election to be held under this title, the polls shall be opened at the hour of seven a.m. and remain continuously open until seven p.m., standard time or daylight savings time, whichever is in effect. [SD Codified Laws 12-2-3]

Links Links to other web sites

Election Authority
	• South Dakota Elections & Voter Registration Overview
	• South Dakota Secretary of State
Legislature
	• South Dakota Legislature - Legislative Research Council
Democratic
	• South Dakota Democratic Party
Republican
	• South Dakota Republican Party
Third Party
	• Constitutional Party of South Dakota (National Party)
	• Constitutional Party of South Dakota (State Party)
	• South Dakota Green Party
	• South Dakota Libertarian Party (old site)
	• South Dakota Right to Life
Media & others
	• American News - Aberdeen
	• Argus Leader - Sioux Falls
	• Argus Leader - South Dakota Politics
	• Black Hills Pioneer
	• Capital Journal - Pierre
	• Daily Press & Dakotan - Yankton
	• DC's Political Report - South Dakota
	• KDLT TV - NBC - Sioux Falls
	• KELO AM - Sioux Falls
	• KELO TV - CBS - Sioux Falls
	• KNBN TV - NBC - Rapid City
	• KOTA TV - ABC - Rapid City
	• KSFY TV - ABC - Sioux Falls
	• Madison Daily Leader
	• NewsLink - South Dakota Newspapers
	• Plainsman - Huron
	• Politics1.com - South Dakota
	• Rapid City Journal
	• South Dakota Politics - Conservative
	• South Dakota Public Broadcasting
	• The Aberdeen American News
	• The Brookings Register
	• The Daily Republic - Mitchell
	• Watertown Public Opinion