• PIERRE, SD - As the 2012 General Election draws near, Secretary of State Jason Gant is reminding individuals who requested an absentee ballot to return the ballot either by mail or in person to their county Auditor's office.
• "As of today, over 77,000 absentee ballots have been sent, and over 70,000 have been returned.   I encourage absentee voters to return their ballots as soon as possible and consider overnight delivery service to ensure their vote is counted on Election Day," said Gant.
• The breakdown of requests from South Dakota political parties is as follows:
• Republican          36,689
• Democratic          23,148
• Independent        10,218
• Libertarian                  99
• Other                          84
• Constitution                52
• Reform                         3
• Gant stated, "Ballots must be returned by Election Day on November 6^th to be counted.  Absentee voters are also reminded to sign the oath on the back of the ballot envelope before mailing."
• Absentee voting information can be obtained from the Secretary of State's website www.sdsos.gov or by contacting your local Auditor's office.