Monday is the last day South Dakotans can register to vote.
Those who want to participate in the 2020 election have until 5 pm local time on October 19th to do so.
South Dakotans can print off a voter registration form off of the Secretary of State’s website or they can go down to their county auditor’s office and register.
Secretary of State Steve Barnett says while you’re there you might as well vote.
“They just have to fill out that form,” Barnett says. “They really should be able to get that form—the data—entered quickly and verified within a few minutes. Technically, they could just vote after that as well. Monday would be the last time they could do that—to register right there and vote. The early voting will continue on until election day.”
Those looking to register must fill out a paper form. South Dakota does not allow online voter registration. State statute requires an individual to have a wet signature on both the registration and ballot.
Potential registries must have either a social security number or a South Dakota id card. They can also register via affidavit.
One in five registered voters have already cast their ballot. Barnett says the number of absentee and early voting ballots is at a record high.
“That number is going to continue to climb until election day,” Barnett says. “We’re on track for an unprecedented number of absentee ballots for this general election.”
As of Friday morning, 119,469 ballots are cast. That’s already surpassed the number of absentee ballots cast in 2016.
