SD Secretary of State’s office offers absentee vote tracking

PIERRE, S.D. (KOTA) - 5 p.m. local time on Oct. 19 was the last chance for South Dakotans to register to vote. Already, tens of thousands have mailed in their absentee ballots.

The South Dakota Secretary of State’s office makes it easy for voters to track their mail-in ballots.

“Our website is www.sdsos.gov, under the voter information portal, one can track where they are at with their absentee ballot. It’ll show if that absentee ballot was sent out or if it was sent back to the county auditor’s office. If that doesn’t match up, then they will have the chance to call their county auditor and see if they have had a chance to process those yet.” said Secretary of State Steve Barnett.

With the opportunity to vote by mail so easily available, many voters decide to do so, outside of any COVID pandemic related reasons.

Kara Jensen says that she will be voting by mail-in ballot for the first time in her life.

“I figure working 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., it is a little more convenient than having to take time off work or go after work where the crowds are bigger, and the lines are longer, and then I have kids to pick up, so it is just a little more convenient to do the mail-in ballot,” says Jensen.

Jensen is just one of many voters across South Dakota who appreciates being able to track their ballot.

“I think it is just added security, you hear about things nationwide, ballots going missing. If I can track it, then I know right where my ballot is, and if there is an issue, I can say hey, my ballot is not there.” Jensen said.

With so many questions coming up around the security and integrity of mail-in ballots, the Secretary of State’s office is doing everything they can to make sure that voters in South Dakota know that their vote will count.

“It gives voters some peace of mind that they can track their ballot and make sure the county auditor did receive it in time before the election so that their ballot is indeed counted.” Secretary Barnett says.

If you would like to track your absentee ballot in South Dakota, click here.

Absentee ballots must be received by Election Day in South Dakota.

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