SDCL § 12-19-44: Counting process open to poll watchers--Reasonable distance--Records associating voter with ballot prohibited--Penalty.

The process of sorting, validating, processing, and counting absentee ballots must be open to poll watchers for the purpose of observing the process.

A poll watcher shall keep a reasonable distance from ballots and identification information to protect the privacy of absentee voters. No record associating an individual voter with a ballot may be created.

A violation of this section is a Class 2 misdemeanor.