The year 2020 holds many high risk national and local elections as the COVID-19 pandemic rages on and political tensions intensify. During this time it is increasingly imperative for young voters to make their voices heard on (or before) election day. 

The basics

All voters must be 18 years old on or before the day of the election; this year that date is Nov. 3. In addition, all voters must be residents of the U.S. and must not be currently serving time for a felony and must not have been declared mentally incompetent to vote by a court of law. Citizens looking to vote in the 2020 primary and presidential election must be registered by Oct. 19.  Voters can register by filling out the national voter registration form or the South Dakota registration form and submitting to their local election office. There are a few ways to vote in the election this fall, early voting, voting by mail, and standard voting on Nov. 3.

Voting by mail

Voting by mail is an option that does not require time spent in the actual voting booth; instead, the registered voter submits an absentee ballot application to their local election office. After they receive their ballot, instructions will be included. The voter should submit their ballot as soon as possible starting on Sept. 18 to ensure their ballot is delivered and counted on Nov. 3.

Voting in person

After successfully registering to vote, poll location, sample ballots and even absentee (mail-in) ballot status information can be found on the South Dakota Secretary of State’s website by typing in the voter’s first and last name in addition to their zip code or birthdate. The voter may visit their listed polling location any time between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. on Nov. 3 with valid photo identification to submit their ballot.

The 2020 election is a great opportunity to utilize your right to vote. Even if you do not wish to vote in the presidential election there are still many other local seats up for election that will affect your community in the years to come.