Absentee voting is now underway

Absentee voting is now underway Secretary of State Chris Nelson reminds voters that absentee voting for the Nov. 4 general election begins on Tuesday, Sept. 23 and continues until 3 p.m. on Election Day.�?  Voters who wish to cast an absentee ballot may do so at their county auditorâ�?�?s office or by applying for an absentee ballot through the mail.�? Applications are available at www.sdsos.gov.�?  Absentee voters do not need to provide an â�?�?excuseâ�? on their application. The general election ballot contains the presidential race along with races for United States Senate, United States House of Representatives, Public Utilities Commission, Legislature, county offices and seven statewide ballot questions. Voters can view their specific sample ballot by accessing the Voter Information Portal at www.sdsos.gov.�?  Enter your first name, last name, date of birth, and hit the�? search button.�? VIP will confirm your voter registration status, show your precinct and polling place name and address, and show your sample ballot. Secretary Nelson stated â�?�?The Voter Information Portal is a powerful tool allowing voters to confirm their voter registration, find their polling place, and see the races for which they will vote.â�? Voters can learn about each of the seven ballot questions by accessing the 2008 Ballot Question Pamphlet at www.sdsos.gov or by visiting their county auditorâ�?�?s office or local library. Any person who is not registered to vote or wants to update a voter registration address for the general election has until Oct. 20. Voter registration can be done at any county auditor, city finance, or driver license office.�? Registration forms are also available at www.sdsos.gov.