SB 104 South Dakota Senate · 2025 Regular Session

provide for the publication of the cast vote record of automatic tabulating equipment and to make an appropriation therefor.

SB 104 requires the publication of cast vote records from automatic tabulating equipment used in elections and allocates funding to support this process. The bill directly affects election officials and state agencies responsible for managing voting systems and election records. By mandating the release of these records, the legislation aims to increase transparency in how votes are counted and recorded during elections. The appropriation provision ensures that necessary resources are available to implement and maintain this publication requirement.

Issues: ✓ Budget & Taxes

Bill status in committee 1 of 4 stages cleared

Introduction

Jan 2025

Committee Review

Floor Vote

Governor

Introduced Jan 27, 2025 Last action Feb 21, 2025

Maddy AI version diff · 1 comparison

What changed between versions

Introduced → Senate Local Government Engrossed · 5 edits · Feb 5, 2025

MODERATE

This bill amends South Dakota election law to mandate the publication of cast vote records from automatic tabulating equipment and allocates $516,000 in funding to help county auditors implement these changes. The legislation also establishes new definitions for 'cast vote record' and 'ballot image' to clarify what must be made public.

Scope change

The bill expands public access requirements for election data by mandating that cast vote records and ballot images collected by automatic tabulating equipment be treated as public records.

REQUIREMENT

Added requirement that cast vote records and ballot images collected by automatic tabulating equipment must be made available as public records.

Modified language to clarify that results printed by automatic tabulating equipment constitute immediate unofficial returns and must be presented to the canvassing board for certification as official returns.

DEFINITION

Added new definitions for 'cast vote record' (electronic record of how ballot marks are tabulated) and 'ballot image' (digital rendering or facsimile of a paper ballot).

FISCAL

Added $516,000 appropriation from the general fund to the secretary of state for grants to county auditors to assist with implementation costs.

TIMELINE

Added effective date of June 30, 2025, and established that unexpended funds must revert by June 30, 2028.

Floor votes

How they voted

No floor votes recorded yet.

Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions

Key actions

Committee

Amendments

Feb 21, 2025

Upper · Passed

Committee on Appropriations Tabled , Passed, YEAS 10, NAYS 6

upper

Feb 5, 2025

Committee

Local Government Referred as Amended to , Passed, YEAS 6, NAYS 0

upper

Feb 5, 2025

Introduced

Local Government Motion to amend , Passed, Amendment 104C

upper

Jan 27, 2025

Introduced

First read in Senate and referred to S.J. 100

upper

6 primary · 0 co-sponsors