For Immediate Release                                         Contact: Chris Nelson
Wednesday, May 12, 2004                                        Phone: 605-773-3537

Absentee Voting Changes and Deadline

Pierre, SD – The Primary and Special Congressional Election is fast approaching and absentee voting is in high gear.  The deadline to request an absentee ballot application is June 1, 2004 at 3 p.m.  All ballots need to be back to the county auditor in order to get to their polling place by 7:00 p.m. on June 1.

“This is the first year that people can absentee vote without providing an excuse.  Voters also need to send in a copy of their picture ID or have their application notarized before the county auditor can send or give them a ballot,” said Secretary of State Chris Nelson.                       

Acceptable forms of identification are a South Dakota driver’s license or non-driver identification card, a passport or a picture identification card issued by an agency of the United States government, a picture tribal identification card, or a picture identification card issued by an accredited institution of higher education, including a high school, university, college, or technical school, located within the State of South Dakota.

For more information on absentee voting you can the view the Secretary of State website at www.sdsos.gov/absentee.htm.

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