HB 1207 South Dakota House · 2026 Regular Session

amend the period of time before which ballots and other election materials may be destroyed following an election.

HB 1207 extends the retention period for election materials in South Dakota from 60 days to 22 months after an election. It affects municipal, school district, and non-federal election officials who handle ballots and voting records. The bill standardizes the timeline across all election types - previously, non-federal elections had a 60-day retention period, while federal elections already required 22 months. Election officials may now destroy materials only after this 22-month period, ensuring records remain available for audits or recounts. Federal elections remain unchanged at 22 months but are now explicitly included in the unified timeline.
Bill status died 1 of 4 stages cleared
Introduction
Jan 2026
Committee Review
Floor Vote
Governor
Introduced Jan 29, 2026 Last action Feb 5, 2026
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Jan 29, 2026
Introduced
First read in House and referred to House State Affairs H.J. 179
lower
5 primary · 0 co-sponsors

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