Absentee ballots for registered South Dakota voters are going out Friday
South Dakotan’s have until October 19 to register.
The Secretary of State says don’t wait.
Before the primary election in the spring, all registered voters were sent an absentee ballot request form. That form asked voters what ballots they’d like to receive.
Secretary of State Steve Barnett says voters can double check which box they marked.
“If they cannot recall which box they checked, they can call their county auditor to see if they signed up for an absentee ballot,” Barnett says. “Or, they can go to our website, sdsos.gov and click on the voter information portal and they will be able to see if they are in the cue to receive an absentee ballot.”
Barnett is encouraging voters to get their ballot request forms and ballots in early. He says he’s confident in the postal services’ ability to handle the increase of ballots in the mail.
Once voters do vote, Barnett says they need to be prudent about signing the back of the manila envelope once their ballot is enclosed. He says they should be thorough when filling out an absentee ballot request.
“Auditor are very good, especially if they receive that ballot with ample time—especially like in the beginning of October, they can call that voter and say, ‘Hey, you forgot to sign the back, but can you come on down and sign it so the ballot will count. If they’re filling out the application form itself, it just needs to be accompanied by a photo ID, or notarized, and it requires a wet signature and date as well. Just, make to make sure they slow down and complete the entire form. Then, when the ballot comes, fill out the ballot and sign the back of the manila envelope.”
Barnett says a lot of county auditors in South Dakota have drop boxes where voters can drop off their ballots.