SOUTH DAKOTA – More South Dakotans are choosing to vote before Election Day, according to new data from the Secretary of State’s Office.
The percentage of voters casting absentee ballots increased from 27 percent in 2016 to 32 percent in 2024, reflecting a broader nationwide trend toward early voting.
The growth comes as absentee voting officially opens Friday for South Dakota’s November 3 general election. Voters can cast ballots in person at their county auditor’s office or vote by mail.
The election ballot will include races for governor, U.S. House and Senate, legislative contests, constitutional offices, local races, and four statewide ballot measures.
Election officials say absentee voting continues to gain popularity, but many South Dakotans still prefer to vote in person on Election Day. In Brookings County, officials report voter participation is now split nearly evenly between early voters and Election Day voters.
Meanwhile, a recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling blocked a federal executive order that would have created new requirements for mail-in voting ahead of this year’s election, allowing South Dakota’s absentee voting process to proceed as planned.
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