Republican Secretary of State Monae Johnson is helping her party’s war on voting access by proposing to reduce the absentee voting period. She can’t mess with the 46-day absentee voting period—the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act requires at least 45 days of absentee voting in elections for federal offices to protect the franchise for our brave men and women defending democracy around the globe and other patriots away from their beloved homeland. But evidently the Secretary realized she could take away absentee voting time for local elections:
1. An Act to modify provisions pertaining to absentee voting and to declare an emergency.
a. This bill will establish that the 46-day absentee voting period only applies to statewide elections. Other elections will have at least 15 days of absentee voting when a specific absentee voting period is not defined.
b. This bill will allow county auditors to begin processing absentee ballots during regular office hours on the day before an election. Processing includes reviewing and validating signatures on absentee ballot envelopes, opening absentee ballot envelopes, stamping absentee ballots, and placing absentee ballots in ballot boxes.
c. An emergency clause is on this bill to ensure that it will be in effect during the 2026 statewide primary election [Secretary of State Monae Johnson, proposed bills for 2026 Legislative Session, presented to State Board of Elections 2025.11.18].
Reducing absentee voting time reduces the ability of citizens to participate in government. Soldiers and other world travelers should have as much opportunity to vote for school board and county commission members back home as they do for President and members of Congress. So should their friends and neighbors back home.
Hold the line; maintain that maximal 46-day absentee voting period for all citizens in all elections.
I don’t know, Cory. I’d like to see some data on how many folks request absentee ballots and vote at 5 day intervals before local elections. I bet the data would show very little until about four weeks before election. On the other hand, I would hate to disenfranchise anyone.
She just gets grumpy working during hunting season.
Many of my homecare clients request absentee ballots from Selby. We call the county auditor for the ballot, she sends a form to fill out and return along with a copy of their ID, and then they get their ballot.
When Selby mails the request form, it can take up to a week to receive because the mail goes to Bismarck to be processed before delivery in Mobridge. We fill out the form, get a copy of the ID and return it next day. That too is sent to Bismarck and delivered to Selby within a week. Then the same goes with the ballot.
Selby is 19 miles from Mobridge and it’s a 3-week process to vote if you are homebound.
SHAMEFUL
Seems like this would just create more confusion for all involved with different rules for different election. KISS (Keep it simple stupid)
Where I vote all voters get absentee ballots to use, if they so choose. We have polls on election day and absentee ballots for a month or so, also.
Believe me now and hear me later. Voting with a search engine and a bourbon, at the kitchen table, beats standing in queue.
Especially for researching obscure posts like judges and school board.