The bill proposes the abolition of the State Board of Elections, transferring its responsibilities to the Secretary of State. It amends existing laws related to the filing and circulation of petitions for initiated amendments to the South Dakota Constitution, requiring petition sponsors to file in both physical and electronic formats and adhere to specific formatting guidelines. New deadlines for submitting petition signatures are established, mandating that they be submitted by 5 p.m. central time on the first Tuesday in May of the general election year. Additionally, the bill introduces a requirement for a sworn affidavit from petition sponsors to verify the authenticity of the signatures submitted.

Further amendments focus on enhancing the electoral process's integrity and accessibility, including redefining the term "petition circulator" and clarifying the Secretary of State's responsibilities in overseeing election administration. The bill mandates that counties provide interpreters for voters with limited English proficiency and outlines the criteria for hiring them. It also establishes new procedures for voter registration, including sending acknowledgment notices by nonforwardable mail and maintaining the master voter registration list. Overall, the bill aims to streamline election processes while ensuring transparency and accountability in South Dakota's electoral system.

Statutes affected:
Introduced, 02/04/2026: 2-1-1.1, 2-1-1.2, 2-1-3, 2-1-3.1, 12-1-3, 12-1-9, 12-1-9.1, 12-1-10, 12-1-11, 12-1-21, 12-1-22, 12-4-1.2, 12-4-5, 12-4-5.3, 12-4-5.4, 12-4-5.5, 12-4-6, 12-4-9.2, 12-4-18, 12-4-19, 12-4-19.1, 12-4-54, 12-4-56, 12-4-60, 12-4-61, 12-5-8, 12-5-21.1, 12-7-1, 12-7-7, 12-16-1, 12-16-23, 12-16-28, 12-16-39, 12-17B-2, 12-17B-3, 12-17B-5, 12-17B-5.2, 12-17B-11, 12-17B-13.1, 12-17B-17, 12-17B-19, 12-18-6.2, 12-18-7.2, 12-18-7.4, 12-18-40, 12-19-2.5, 12-19-4, 12-19-9.3, 12-19-50, 12-20-1, 12-20-7, 12-20-13.2, 12-20-13.4, 12-20-18, 12-21-2, 12-1-5, 12-1-6, 12-1-7, 12-1-8, 12-3-6, 12-3-7, 12-3-8, 12-3-9, 12-3-10, 12-3-11, 12-3-12, 12-3-13, 12-4-4.8, 12-4-7.2, 12-4-8, 12-4-8.1, 12-4-35, 12-5-3.15, 12-6-5, 12-6-14, 12-9-13, 12-16-2.1, 12-16-9, 12-16-10, 12-18-8.1, 12-20-52, 12-21-6.1