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SOUTH DAKOTA's STATE LAWS REGARDING PRESIDENTIAL ELECTORS

  • Electoral College Votes Count: 3
  • Alocation Type: winner-takes-all
  • Electors Must Pledge: no

Elector Pledge and Electoral College Votes Allocation​

South Dakota is one of the 48 states that have a winner-takes-all rule for the Electoral College. In these States, whichever candidate receives a majority of the popular vote, or a plurality of the popular vote (less than 50 percent but more than any other candidate), takes all of the state’s Electoral votes.South Dakota is one of the states that do not require their electors to vote as pledged.

Election Code: S.D. 12-24-1,12-24-2, 12-24-3, 12-24-4, 12-24-5

How Does South Dakota Select Its Electors?​

  • The state convention shall nominate candidates for presidential electors. The general election ballot will list the name of the presidential candidate along with his/her vice president and underneath those names it will state “electors.” The candidate that is elected will allow those three electors to meet in the Governor’s Office on the date directed by the United States Congress to perform their duties of casting South Dakota’s three electoral votes for that party’s presidential/vice presidential candidates.

When Do The Electors Vote?​

  • Each elector of President and vice president of the United States shall, before the hour of eleven o'clock in the morning of the day fixed by the act of Congress to elect a President and vice president, give notice to the Governor that he is at the seat of government and ready at the proper time to perform the duties of an elector; and the Governor shall forthwith deliver to the electors present a certificate of all the names of the electors.If any elector named in the Governor's certificate fails to appear before nine o'clock in the morning of the day of election of President and vice president as aforesaid, the electors there present shall immediately proceed to elect by ballot, in the presence of the Governor, a person to fill such vacancy.

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