8-3-1. Time and place of annual meeting--Publication of notice.

The citizens of each organized civil township qualified to vote at general elections shall annually assemble and hold a township meeting on the first Tuesday of March. The township board of supervisors shall by resolution establish the location where the annual township meeting shall be held. The location of the annual meeting shall be in the county where the township is located. Notice of the time and place of such township meeting shall be given by the publication thereof for three consecutive days in a daily, or for two consecutive weeks in a weekly newspaper of general circulation in the township beginning not less than twelve calendar days prior to such meeting. In case of inclement weather, any required township meeting may be rescheduled for the following Tuesday at the same place and location without additional publication in the newspaper and meeting requirements provided in § 1-25-1.1. If the board of supervisors requires nominating petitions pursuant to § 8-3-1.1, the notice required by this section shall include the names and the office they seek of those who have filed nominating petitions pursuant to § 8-3-1.2.

Source: SL 1872-3, ch 51, § 11; PolC 1877, ch 23, § 11; SL 1883, ch 112, subch 1, § 11; CL 1887, § 714; SL 1899, ch 85, § 1; RPolC 1903, § 1006; RC 1919, § 6047; SDC 1939, § 58.0301; SL 1963, ch 451, § 1; SL 1989, ch 70, § 1; SL 1990, ch 56, § 4; SL 1992, ch 58, § 1; SL 2014, ch 48, § 3.



SDLRC - Codified Law 8-3-1 - Time and place of annual meeting--Publication of notice.

8-3-1.1. Authority to require nominating petition.

The board of supervisors of a township may, by ordinance, require a candidate for township office to file a nominating petition pursuant to § 8-3-1.2. If a township has fifty or more registered voters, ten percent or more of the registered voters may file a petition, by October first, requesting that nomination petitions be filed by all candidates for township office. If such petition is filed, the board of supervisors shall adopt a resolution requiring each candidate for township office to file a nominating petition pursuant to § 8-3-1.2.

Source: SL 1990, ch 56, § 1; SL 1998, ch 43, § 1.



SDLRC - Codified Law 8-3-1 - Time and place of annual meeting--Publication of notice.

8-3-1.2. Filing nominating petition--Contents--Circulation prior to meeting.

If the board of supervisors requires nominating petitions pursuant to § 8-3-1.1, no candidate for elective township office may be nominated unless a nominating petition is filed with the township clerk no later than five p.m. of the day twenty-five days prior to the annual township meeting at which such officer is to be elected. The nominating petition shall be signed by no less than ten registered voters of the township and shall be on a form approved by the state board of elections. The nominating petition shall contain the name of the candidate, his residence and business address, and the office for which he is nominated. A formal declaration of the candidate shall be signed by him prior to the circulation of petitions. The signed declaration of the candidate, or a facsimile thereof, may accompany and be part of the petition. The original signed declaration shall accompany and be a part of the petition. The signer or the circulator of the petition shall add the signer's residence address and the date of the signing. No petition may be circulated until forty-five days prior to the annual meeting.

Source: SL 1990, ch 56, § 2.



SDLRC - Codified Law 8-3-1 - Time and place of annual meeting--Publication of notice.

8-3-1.3. Publication of election notice.

If the board of supervisors requires nominating petitions pursuant to § 8-3-1.1, the township clerk shall publish a notice stating the offices that will be voted upon at the annual meeting. The notice shall be published in the official newspapers of the township once a week for two consecutive weeks. The last notice shall be at least forty-five days prior to the annual meeting. The notice shall state where nominating petitions shall be filed and the date when the petitions must be filed.

Source: SL 1990, ch 56, § 3.



SDLRC - Codified Law 8-3-1 - Time and place of annual meeting--Publication of notice.

8-3-1.4. Notice in township of twenty or fewer resident voters.

No township with a population of twenty or fewer resident voters is required to publish a notice of the time and place of an annual meeting more than once in any publication.

Source: SL 1992, ch 58, § 2; SL 2002, ch 44, § 1.