Section 9-13-9 - Number of signers required for nominating petitions in first, second, and third classmunicipalities--Time for circulating petitions.
9-13-9. Number of signers required for nominating petitions in first, second, and third class municipalities--Time for circulating petitions. In municipalities of the first and second class, if the candidate is to be voted for by the voters at large, a nominating petition shall be signed by fifteen registered voters of the municipality for each thousand or major fraction of the population, as shown by the last preceding federal census. No petition need be signed by more than fifty voters.
If the candidate is to be voted for by the voters of a ward of a municipality of the first or second class having more than one ward, a nominating petition shall be signed by at least five percent of the registered voters of the ward. The percentage shall be based on the total number of registered voters voting in the ward at the last preceding general election. No petition need be signed by more than fifty voters.
In municipalities of the third class, if the candidate is to be voted for by the voters at large, the nominating petition shall be signed by not less than ten registered voters of the municipality. If the candidate is to be voted for by the voters of a ward of a municipality having more then one ward, the nominating petition shall be signed by not less than five registered voters of the ward. A petition signer in a municipality of the third class is not restricted in the number of petitions which the person may sign.
No nominating petition may be circulated until on or after the last Friday in January prior to the election.
Source: SL 1913, ch 119, § 106; SL 1915, ch 115, § 4; RC 1919, § 6320; SDC 1939, § 45.1309; SL 1973, ch 49; SL 1978, ch 60, § 2; SL 1980, ch 64, § 1; SL 1981, ch 67; SL 1983, ch 52, § 4; SL 1986, ch 67, § 5; SL 1987, ch 76, § 1; SL 1988, ch 63, § 7; SL 1992, ch 60, § 2; SL 2004, ch 75, § 4.