This bill amends existing laws regarding the retention and destruction of ballots and election materials following municipal, nonfederal, and school district elections in South Dakota. It introduces a new section that mandates the certification of election returns by the precinct election board and requires that ballots and pollbooks be placed in the custody of the municipal finance officer. The finance officer is authorized to destroy these materials, including voted ballots and pollbooks, twenty-two months after the election.

Additionally, the bill amends current law to extend the period for which election materials must be retained from sixty days to twenty-two months for both nonfederal and federal elections. It clarifies that if a ballot is used for both federal and state or local elections, all related materials must also be maintained for the full twenty-two months. The bill also updates the language regarding the certification of school district election returns, ensuring that the business manager is responsible for the custody and eventual destruction of election materials after the same twenty-two-month period.

Statutes affected:
Introduced, 01/29/2026: 12-20-31, 13-7-17