Last month (Aug. 2024), the U-S Postal Service proposed a plan to adjust mail delivery to increase its reliance on regional hubs, saving them an estimated $3-billion per year, but the change could end up slowing down delivery to rural areas. Members of the National Association of State Election Officials have sent a letter to the U.S. Postmaster General, expressing concerns about Postal Service performance over the last year. The letter cites patterns of inconsistent training among staff, lengthy delivery times and a rise in mail returned as ‘undeliverable’– all of which could affect absentee ballots. As absentee voting for the Nov. 2024, general election begins, ACLU of South Dakota Advocacy Manager Samantha Chapman says she hopes people who request absentee ballots are aware of the possibility of delays. https://media-cdn.socastsrm.com/wordpress/wp-content/blogs.dir/2626/files/2024/09/challenges1.mp3 “About the possibility of delayed mail service and the importance of expediently filling out those ballots and mailing them back as soon as possible.” The ACLU says a challenge to some absentee ballots cast during the June primary in Minnehaha County nearly caused 100 votes to be rejected, in a race where candidates were separated by just 83 votes. The South Dakota Secretary of State’s Office advised that state law didn’t make the ballots in question challengeable. Chapman hopes there aren’t similar issues during the general election. https://media-cdn.socastsrm.com/wordpress/wp-content/blogs.dir/2626/files/2024/09/challenges2.mp3 “We really, really, really are pushing all of our election administrators to follow the laws that are in place, and to use their positions to be an accurate source of information for voters.” Chapman encourages South Dakotans to check the status of their voter registration in case they’ve been purged through routine maintenance or other changes. The registration deadline is October 21, 2024.