It is a mess

Today I was at the Bennett County Courthouse and noticed this posting on the east door of the courthouse:

Public Notification at Benett County Courthouse (April 16, 2026)

As you can see, early (absentee) voting will not begin on April 17, 2026. According to the press release:

The Bennett County Auditor's Office is notifying voters that absentee ballots for the upcoming June 2nd Primary Election will not be available on the first day of the absentee voting period...because ballots cannot be finalized until after the petition filing deadline has passed and candidate eligibility is confirmed, additional time is required.

I contacted the other three county auditor offices within District 27, and they provided similar responses:

Jackson County indicated that early voting may begin using a sample or proof ballot—the same version used to order official ballots—for those who wish to vote early. However, voters are encouraged to call ahead or return later to confirm when official ballots are available before casting their vote. (Deputy Director, Jackson County - 4/16/2026)

Pennington County reported uncertainty regarding the arrival of official ballots. Early voting is estimated to be delayed by approximately five business days, with a potential start date of Thursday or Friday, April 23 or April 24. (Admininstrative Clerk, Pennington County Auditor - 4/16/2026)

We just received the ballot proof on Tuesday or Wednesday of this week and approved it. We expect to start early voting next week, probably on Monday or Tuesday, April 20th or April 21st. We have posted a public service announcement on our Facebook page, county website, and KILI Radio. (Admininstrative Clerk, Oglala Lakota County Auditor - 4/16/2026)

What does this all mean? If early voting is important to you, my recommendation is to call ahead to confirm if the county auditors have the official primary ballots. Below are the phone numbers to the various county auditors within District 27.

• Bennett County: (605) 685-6931 and ask for Auditor Mary Goss

• Jackson County: (605) 837-2422 and ask for Auditor Vicki Wilson

• Oglala Lakota County: (605) 745-5130 and ask for Auditor Sue Ganje

• Pennington County: (605) 394-2153 and ask for Auditor Sabrina Green

This situation will eventually be resolved, and the majority of voters will wait to cast their ballots on June 2, 2026; however, it reflects a recurring issue in which the South Dakota Secretary of State’s Office has not met its statutory obligations in a timely manner.

The consolidation of municipal and school district elections with county, state, and federal elections has significantly compressed administrative timelines. County auditors and the Office of the Secretary of State are now required to certify petitions, address petition challenges, prepare official ballots, and issue statutory notices within increasingly tight deadlines. This places substantial strain on auditor offices across the state.

It is time to reconsider the current 45-day early voting period and return to a more streamlined, single-day election model. Based on my experience voting in primary elections while on multiple tours of duty across the United States, the absentee process was straightforward: submit a written request, receive the ballot by mail, complete it at home, and drop it off at the post office without having to lick a stamp. This process was simple and, in my view, less burdensome for both voters and election administrators.

If elected to the state legislature, I will introduce legislation to address the weaknesses in the system. Voters expect elections to be conducted smoothly, efficiently, and transparently. The current situation falls short of that expectation. To put it plainly: the system, as it stands, is a mess.