The bill amends provisions related to the verification of registered voters in South Dakota's master registration file. A new section is added allowing immediate family members of registered voters to submit an affidavit to the county auditor stating that the voter is deceased. This affidavit must include the name of the deceased voter, the reporting family member's name and relationship, and sufficient identifying information. Upon receipt, the county auditor is required to cancel the voter's registration and remove them from the master registration file.

Additionally, the bill revises existing language in section 12-4-19 regarding address verification requests. The county auditor must now send a nonforwardable, return-if-undeliverable address verification request to voters who have not voted, updated their registration, or replied to confirmation mailings in the past four years, or if an affidavit is received indicating the voter is no longer a resident. The auditor is mandated to send these requests during specific periods and must act promptly upon receiving relevant affidavits. The process for handling undeliverable requests and confirmation mailings is also clarified, ensuring that voters are appropriately moved to an inactive registration file if necessary.

Statutes affected:
Introduced, 02/04/2025: 12-4-19, 12-4-19.2
House State Affairs Engrossed, 02/10/2025: 12-4-19, 12-4-19.2