AN ACT
ENTITLED, An Act to revise provisions regarding challenges to candidate nominating petitions.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF SOUTH DAKOTA:
Section 1. That § 12-1-13 be amended to read:
12-1-13. Within five business days after a nominating, initiative, or referendum petition, excluding petitions for statewide initiative, referendum, or constitutional initiative petitions, is validated and filed with the person in charge of the election, any interested person who has researched the signatures contained on the petition or, for a nominating petition, has researched the information contained in the declaration of candidacy, may submit an affidavit stating that the petition contains deficiencies as to the number of signatures of persons who are eligible to sign the petition or that the declaration of candidacy is not valid. The affidavit shall include an itemized listing of the specific deficiencies in question.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF SOUTH DAKOTA:
Section 1. That § 12-1-13 be amended to read:
12-1-13. Within five business days after a nominating, initiative, or referendum petition, excluding petitions for statewide initiative, referendum, or constitutional initiative petitions, is validated and filed with the person in charge of the election, any interested person who has researched the signatures contained on the petition or, for a nominating petition, has researched the information contained in the declaration of candidacy, may submit an affidavit stating that the petition contains deficiencies as to the number of signatures of persons who are eligible to sign the petition or that the declaration of candidacy is not valid. The affidavit shall include an itemized listing of the specific deficiencies in question.
Any challenge to the following items is prohibited under this challenge process:
(1) Signer does not live at address listed on the petition;
(2) Circulator does not live at address listed on the petition;
(3) Circulator listed a residence address in South Dakota but is not a South Dakota resident;
(4) Circulator did not witness the signers;
(5) Signatures or petition sheets not included in the random sample. This subdivision applies
only to petitions for statewide candidates, new party formation petitions, or to local
jurisdictions that conduct random sampling; and
(6) Petition that was originally rejected.
All challenges by the same person or party in interest shall be included in one affidavit.
The original signed affidavit shall be received by the person in charge of that election by 5:00
p.m. local time on the deadline date. If the affidavit challenges any item that is prohibited by this
section, only that line item shall be summarily rejected.
The decision of the secretary of state or the person in charge of the election regarding a challenge
under this section may not be challenged a second time with the secretary of state or the person in
charge of the election, but may be appealed to the circuit court. Any challenge with the secretary of
state may be appealed in Hughes County. An appeal challenging a nominating petition for a primary
election, takes precedence over other cases in circuit court. Any party appealing the circuit court
order to the Supreme Court shall file a notice of appeal within ten days of the date of the notice of
the entry of the circuit court order.
A failure to challenge a petition in accordance with this section does not deny a person any other
legal remedy to challenge the filing of a nominating, initiative, or referendum petition in circuit
court. A challenge to a petition in circuit court may include items prohibited in this section.
Section 2. That § 12-1-14 be amended to read:
12-1-14. The person in charge of the election shall verify the information contained in the affidavit submitted in accordance with § 12-1-13 and make a written declaration regarding the validity of the signatures in question or, for a nominating petition, of the declaration of candidacy. The person in charge of the election shall verify that each person, challenged under § 12-1-13, was a registered voter at the time the person signed the petition by using the registration documents on file or, for a nominating petition, that the candidate was a resident of the district at the time the declaration of candidacy was signed, in accordance with § 12-6-3.1, and is a registered voter with a party affiliation in accordance with § 12-6-3.2.
An Act to revise provisions regarding challenges to candidate nominating petitions.
Section 2. That § 12-1-14 be amended to read:
12-1-14. The person in charge of the election shall verify the information contained in the affidavit submitted in accordance with § 12-1-13 and make a written declaration regarding the validity of the signatures in question or, for a nominating petition, of the declaration of candidacy. The person in charge of the election shall verify that each person, challenged under § 12-1-13, was a registered voter at the time the person signed the petition by using the registration documents on file or, for a nominating petition, that the candidate was a resident of the district at the time the declaration of candidacy was signed, in accordance with § 12-6-3.1, and is a registered voter with a party affiliation in accordance with § 12-6-3.2.
An Act to revise provisions regarding challenges to candidate nominating petitions.
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I certify that the attached Act originated in the
HOUSE as Bill No. 1157
____________________________
Chief Clerk ____________________________
Speaker of the House
Attest:
____________________________
Chief Clerk
____________________________
Attest:
____________________________
Secretary of the Senate
House Bill No. 1157 File No. ____ Chapter No. ______ |
Received at this Executive Office this _____ day of _____________ ,
20____ at ____________ M.
By _________________________
for the Governor
The attached Act is hereby
approved this ________ day of
______________ , A.D., 20___
____________________________
Governor STATE OF SOUTH DAKOTA, ss.
Office of the Secretary of State
Filed ____________ , 20___
____________________________ Secretary of State
By _________________________ |
