Representative Drew Dennert (R-3/Aberdeen) would introduce a little more certainty into the timeline for printing ballots and for challenging the candidates and questions that may appear thereupon.
House Bill 1124 would prevent the Secretary of State from printing ballots for the primary and general elections until 60 days prior to election day.
Current statute (SDCL 12-16-1) requires that the Secretary get ballots into the hands of county auditors no later than 48 days prior to election day, to ensure that ballots are available for the full 46-day period of early voting provided by SDCL 12-19-1.2. But it’s up to the Secretary to determine when to start printing ballots to ensure that timely delivery. There’s not much wiggle room in the ballot calendar, but without a drop-dead printing deadline, people who want to challenge the placement of a candidate on the ballot and judges hearing such challenges don’t know exactly how much time they have to run a challenge through court to keep naughty candidates’ ballot placement from becoming a done deal.
Most South Dakotans would never notice the application of HB 1124. This mostly harmless bill simply establishes a clear timeline for the production of our sacred ballots… and gives those of us who might push to keep those ballots sacred a clearer timeline for the speedy challenges we would file.
HB1124 is a step forward – giving all notice of, and closure for the window or time frame for ballots. HB1124 tosses aside any vestige or hint of ‘arbitrary or capricious’ ‘runs to the printer’ to potentially circumvent last minute or delayed appeals or arguments for wording of items, and even may reduce a chance that a deceased candidate could remain on the ballot.