Secretary of State to mail absentee ballots request forms to all registered voters

Pat Powers

Hot off the press, the Secretary of State will be mailing absentee ballot applications to every registered voter in the state. This moves things up for campaigns, as they’re going to have to get information in front of voters ASAP as many will be making their selection earlier than usual.

From: Barnett, Steve <[email protected]>
Sent: Wednesday, April 8, 2020 5:14 PM
To: Elections <[email protected]>
Subject: Absentee Ballot Request Mailing

Good afternoon, Auditors,

Attached you’ll find documents pertaining to the mailing of absentee ballot requests to all registered voters.  Separate instruction letters will accompany the applications depending on active vs. inactive voter status.  Also attached is a draft press release concerning this mailing.  Please review and let us know if you have any concerns.  As these documents are drafts, please do not share with the press or constituents at this time.  Once the logistics of the mailing are set with the vendor and USPS, we will relay it to you.

You’ll note the letters and press release are encouraging voters to submit their applications as soon as possible to allow for delivery and processing times.  We will let you know when a date (or date range) has been finalized for these to be mailed out.  We would also like to record a video that we’ll push out concerning this topic.  We will forward that to you to post if you’d like as well.

Please let us know if you see any issues or concerns.  Thanks for all of your efforts as we all try to navigate these unprecedented times.

Steve Barnett
Secretary of State
500 E. Capitol Ave
Pierre, SD 57501
Phone: (605) 773-3537

 

PRESS RELEASE DRAFT  

For further information, contact:
Secretary of State Capitol Building
500 East Capitol Avenue, Ste. 204
Pierre, SD 57501-5070
605-773-3537                                                                                                     April xx, 2020

SECRETARY OF STATE TO DISTRIBUTE ABSENTEE BALLOT APPLICATIONS TO ALL SOUTH DAKOTA REGISTERED VOTERS 

PIERRE – South Dakota Secretary of State Steve Barnett announced today that his office will mail absentee ballot applications to all South Dakotans registered in the statewide voter registration file except those that have already applied for the 2020 election cycle. “Ensuring every South Dakota voter has access to exercise their right to vote is the goal of all election officials in our state. In response to the current pandemic, we are encouraging all South Dakotans to utilize our state’s absentee vote-by- mail option for our upcoming elections. Absentee ballot applications will be mailed to each registered voter at the mailing address used on their voter registration form,” Barnett stated.

Absentee ballot applications will be mailed on April xx. Voters are encouraged to complete their application as soon as possible to allow for delivery and processing times. Once an application is verified by the county auditor, a ballot will be mailed to the voter.

State law requires completed absentee ballot applications to be notarized or include a photocopy of an acceptable photo identification card. Acceptable photo identification cards include a South Dakota driver’s license or non-driver ID card, tribal photo ID, passport or other picture ID issued by the United

States government, or a current student photo ID issued by a South Dakota high school or postsecondary education institution. Voters lacking access to a copy machine or notary public may take a photo of their ID using their phone or camera and email it to their county auditor. Please contact your county auditor for more information regarding this option. County auditor contact information can be found on the Secretary of State’s website at www.sdsos.gov.

Voters that don’t receive an application and wish to obtain an absentee ballot may request an application from their county auditor or download the form on the Secretary of State’s website at www.sdsos.gov. South Dakota’s primary election will be held June 2, 2020.

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It appears that this was not meant to hit the public just yet, BUT, when you send it out to 60 some auditors, it’s going to range a bit wider than a person might have intended.

18 thoughts on “Secretary of State to mail absentee ballots request forms to all registered voters”

  1. How much is this costing us as tax payers to mail a request form out to everyone?

  2. Probably less than if someone sues the state over voting access, and they end up doing it anyway. It’s a proactive move.

  3. Republicans should fight very hard when it comes to statewide mail-in voting. Democrats are clamoring for it. Tremendous potential for voter fraud, and for whatever reason, doesn’t work out well for Republicans.

    1. Yeah, beat that horse to death. Only Dear Leader is spouting this “tremendous potential” thing that you’re parroting here.

    3. On the absentee ballot mailing I proactively applied for and received, there are instructions for us to pay the $1.20 to mail it back. Let me get this straight-the whole reason they’re mailing everyone absentee ballot applications (at taxpayer’s expense) is to save us from the coronavirus? So…for me to physically take my mail-in ballot to the post office for the special postage to be exposed to whatever viruses are floating around there makes sense?

  4. HUGE mistake. Someone might sue the State ? Do you possess a principle that worth fighting for ? Ridiculous. No obstacle exists preventing an absentee vote as it is. Expect more Californification Initiatives and Referendums. Do you see how this opens up harvesting ? Since everyone now has a ballot, filter the register, make a call or perhaps a visit with small gift in hand.

    1. They are not mailing ballots. They are mailing absentee ballot request forms. Am I the old person here? Because I remember everyone doing this in the days before absentee in-person. I don’t think mailing the ballot request form is a big deal.

  6. This is a good course of action. If social distancing is still necessary on June 2 and if the Governor’s order that at-risk residents in Minnehaha and Lincoln counties stay at home is in place, this will lessen any calls for emergency action to postpone the election (which already failed to pass the Legislature).

    It is not at all the same as what happens in vote-by-mail states, because the voter must make the request and prove identification BEFORE a ballot is mailed out.

  7. I do have a problem with this as it is too close to what the dems are trying to do with ballot harvesting etc.

  8. It’s about increasing voter participation from would what be verrry low, to something that might look like an election- in a pandemic! So who’ll put there name out there opposing this in these times?? I mean real name
    Your county auditor will put you on the election board for your precinct , so please include phone number. You’ll make some 70 year old former election board worker very happy

  9. Is Barnett a Democrat?

    This is after he tried to get online voter registration… does he want same day voting next? Any other Bernie ideas he would like?

    Sue us… you have to be kidding, take some personal responsibility and vote by requesting your own ballot.

  10. The reality is if there is a late surge in absentee ballot requests and the state can’t process them or send them out in time there is a problem. It’s a proactive move to flatten the curve of last-minute ballot requests and not have SD primaries turn into WI 2.0. If you can’t grasp why that’s a problem you need to go sit at the kids table and let the adults work.

    1. If there is a late surge

      No one votes by percentage in a regular primary— keep helping the democrats

      1. It’s a primary, it doesn’t help either party because the two parties aren’t going head-to-head; a primary election is intra-party by definition. Any additional local elections appearing on the June ballot are nonpartisan. That was a dumb comment indicative of a failure to grasp basic civics.

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