South Dakota Governor Signs Bill that Improves Ballot Access for Small Qualified Parties

Ballot Access News

On March 23, South Dakota Governor Dennis Daugaard signed HB 1286. It permits qualified parties that have registration under 2.5% of the state total to nominate all their candidates in conventions in the summer. It also reduces the petition requirement for newly-qualifying parties from 2.5% of the last gubernatorial vote, to 1%. And it moves the deadline for such a petition from March to July.

This bill represents the most significant improvement in any state’s ballot access laws since 2017, when North Carolina made a huge improvement. Thanks to Aaron Aylward for the news of the bill’s signing.