A bill clarifying whether or not a political candidate can notarize their own nomination petitions passed out of the Committee on Local Government in Pierre. The bill says the candidate may not notarize his or her own nominating petition.
South Dakota Secretary of State Jason Gant says candidates have notarized their own nomination petitions in the past and clarification is needed.
“What we need to do and what the Board of Elections feels we need to do is to clarify so that the public understands, so that candidates understand that they can or cannot notarize that petition. And I believe that this language makes it very clear so there is no gray area,” says Gant.
The bill passed committee unanimously. It goes next to the House floor. State Representative Brian Gosch received statewide attention over the past year when he allegedly notarized his own nomination petition. A judge later ruled that Gosch had acted appropriately.