lcherald.com

     PIERRE, S.D. -- South Dakota Secretary of State Jason Gant announced that voters can now cast absentee ballots for the 2012 primary election on June 5th.

      "South Dakotans have widely embraced absentee voting as a matter of convenience," Gant said. "In the 2010 general election, we had 411 members of the military vote overseas. However, we had an additional 63,339 South Dakota voters cast their ballots through mailed and in-person absentee balloting. This comprised 19.71% of all ballots cast in the 2010 general election."

      According to primary data from the 2010 primary election, 11,651 or 11.3% of voters cast absentee ballots during the last June primary. "From reports I am receiving from County Auditors across South Dakota, current absentee requests are light, but as we get closer to the election, experience shows us that the pace picks up greatly. Many people decide to cast their vote through absentee balloting as a matter of convenience to avoid lines at the polls," Gant said.

      "If a person believes they may not be available to vote on election day, they can vote at their County Auditor’s office or visit sdsos.gov to complete an application for an absentee ballot," Gant noted.