S.D. Codified Laws § 46A-3B-4

A director candidate may be nominated by a petition signed by at least twenty-five registered voters residing in the director area to be represented by the candidate. Nominating petitions must be made available at the water development district office, the secretary of state's office, and the respective county auditors' offices. Nominating petitions must be prescribed by the state election board and filed with the secretary of state between eight a.m., on January first and five p.m., on the last Tuesday of March, prior to the date of the primary election. If a petition is mailed to the secretary of state's office, by registered mail, before five p.m., on the last Tuesday of March, prior to the primary election, it is considered filed.

For the initial election, director nominating petitions must be made available by the Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources and must be filed with the department no later than five p.m., on the first Tuesday of August, before the general election, or in the case of a special election under § 46A-3B-1 , no later than thirty days before the date of the special election.

Source: SL 1984 (SS), ch 1, § 18; SL 1987, ch 29, § 32; SL 1989, ch 386, § 2; SL 1991, ch 17 (Ex. Ord. 91-4), § 17; SL 2008, ch 234, § 1, eff. Feb. 7, 2008; SL 2015, ch 77, § 2 rejected Nov. 8, 2016; SL 2021, ch 1 (Ex. Ord. 21-3), § 53, eff. Apr. 19, 2021; SL 2025, ch 186, § 24.