Article Body
for immediate release
Monday, April 21, 2008
Contact: Chris Nelson
605-773-3537
Pierre, SD -- Secretary Nelson introduces Voter Information Portal as absentee voting begins for South Dakota’s Primary Election:
I am thrilled to introduce another service to the citizens of South Dakota. Today we are throwing open the curtain to South Dakota’s Voter Information Portal. VIP is a web-based resource available at our website www.sdsos.gov. Simply enter your first name, last name, date of birth, and hit the Search button. VIP will query South Dakota’s voter database to find your voter registration information. When a match is made, VIP will show an array of information personalized for you.
You will see your precinct and polling place name and address. We call this first part of VIP our polling place locator. If there is a problem finding a match or a voter is not registered, VIP will offer voter registration assistance and contact information for South Dakota’s county auditors, who administer our elections.
The second part of VIP gives you the opportunity to view your sample ballot as soon as it becomes available by your county auditor’s office. Your county auditor has utilized our Central Election Reporting System to design your ballot for the upcoming election. While this is a sample ballot, it is very much like the official ballot you will see on election day. And it will contain exactly the contests you will be able to vote on – and no more: all based on the initial entry of your name and date of birth. Your county auditor will have made all the necessary connections so that you are seeing the appropriate ballot based on your party affiliation and your voting districts.
Just click the View Sample Ballot button. If it’s green, your sample ballot is ready for you to view. If you like, you may print your sample ballot to study and even bring with you to your polling place on election day.
While other states and jurisdictions offer somewhat similar voter portals, I am not aware of any that offers so much specialized information for so little effort. Our state voter file, which my office administers in close cooperation with the state’s county auditors, is really a powerful tool. We keep utilizing it to offer new services to the citizens of South Dakota.
VIP has been a dream of mine since long before I was elected Secretary of State. Enjoy it with me.
Find VIP at www.sdsos.gov in the blue section, under the American flag, last option listed.
Absentee voting for the June 3rd primary begins tomorrow April 22nd and continues until 3:00pm on election day. Voters who wish to cast an absentee ballot may do so at their county auditor's office or by applying for an absentee ballot through the mail. Applications are available at www.sdsos.gov. The June Primary ballot offers a Democrat or Republican presidential primary, a Republican United States Senate primary, as well as legislative and county primaries. In some locations, municipal elections, school elections, and county ballot questions are also included. Check VIP to see the contests on your ballot.
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