STURGIS, S.D. – Many county auditors offices across South Dakota say they have not yet received ballots ahead of Friday’s first day of absentee voting.

The Meade County Auditor’s office says they have not yet received ballots for the 2026 Primary Election. Absentee voting, scheduled to begin April 17, may be delayed until ballots arrive.

A similar story is playing out in Pennington County, where the county auditor 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.

Under South Dakota law, absentee voting is scheduled to begin 46 days prior to an election pursuant to SDCL 12-19-1.2. However, the candidate petition filing deadline was March 31st, as established in SDCL 12-6-4, which determines the final list of candidates to appear on the ballot. This statutory timing results in a brief delay between the start of the absentee voting period and the availability of ballots.

Ballot preparation includes certification, layout, programming, proofing, and printing. Because ballots cannot be finalized until after the petition filing deadline has passed and candidate eligibility is confirmed, additional time is required.

A release from Pennington County Wednesday stated this delay is a result of state law timelines and is not caused by the Pennington County Auditor’s Office or the County Auditor.

Pennington County Auditor Sabrina Green stated “Our office is committed to ensuring ballots are accurate and available to voters as quickly as possible. In the meantime, we encourage everyone to take a moment to check that they are registered to vote and that their information is up to date on the state’s website. If you’re not registered, our office is here to help.”

The Meade County Auditor’s office was asking anyone who had planned to vote absentee on Friday to call ahead to inquire about ballot status.