12-15-3. Distribution of precinct officials among parties--Superintendent from majority party--Eligible appointees when list not provided. In the appointment of the members of the precinct election board and of the counting board pursuant to this chapter, if three or more parties have candidates on the official ballot, one precinct deputy shall be appointed from each party whose candidate for Governor in the last gubernatorial election had at least fifteen percent of the votes as shown by the precinct returns. If two parties have candidates on such ballots, the members of the precinct election board shall be selected from each party and the party receiving a majority of the votes cast for Governor in the election precinct at the last preceding gubernatorial election shall have a majority of the members of the precinct election board. The precinct superintendent shall belong to the party whose candidate received the most votes for Governor in the last gubernatorial election in that precinct. If a precinct has been created since the last election, the precinct superintendent shall belong to the party which received the most votes for Governor in the county in the last gubernatorial election. If no list is provided by a party's county central committee pursuant to § 12-15-1, any registered voter who is not affiliated with a party as provided in this section may be chosen as a precinct election board member for the party which did not submit the list within time frame specified in § 12-15-1.

Source: SDC 1939, § 16.1002; SL 1939, ch 79; SL 1975, ch 119, § 2; SL 1976, ch 105, § 34; SL 1993, ch 118, § 2; SL 1999, ch 69, § 6; SL 2000, ch 72, § 1.