FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Date: 04.15.2026
Contact:
Sue Ganje
Fall River County Auditor
605-745-5130
[email protected]
Absentee Ballots Not Available at Start of Voting Period for June 2 Primary
Fall River County, SD — The Fall River County Auditor’s Office is notifying voters that absentee ballots for the upcoming June 2 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 31, as established in SDCL 12-6-4, which determines the final list of candidates to appear on the ballot.
Because ballots cannot be finalized until after the petition filing deadline has passed and candidate eligibility is confirmed, additional time is required for ballot preparation, including certification, layout, programming, proofing,
and printing.
This statutory timing results in a brief delay between the start of the absentee voting period and the availability of ballots.
The Auditor’s Office is working diligently to complete this process as quickly as possible. Once ballots are
available:
 Absentee ballots will be mailed immediately to voters who have submitted applications
 In-person absentee voting will begin at the Auditor’s Office
 Updates will be shared through the county website, local media, and official communication channels
“This delay is a function of state law timelines that require final candidate filings before ballots can be prepared,” said Sue Ganje, Fall River County Auditor. “Our office is committed to ensuring ballots are accurate and available as soon as possible.”
Voters are encouraged to:
 Submit absentee ballot applications early
 Verify voter registration information
 Monitor official county communications for updates
The deadline to request an absentee ballot remains 5:00 p.m. the day before the election, pursuant to SDCL 12-19-2.

The deadline for petitions to be turned in to the Auditor’s Office for Countywide elections is March 31, 2026 by 5:00 p.m.

Deadline for the Elderly & Disabled Tax Freeze is April 1st.

This program prevents the homeowner’s property from increasing in value, for tax purposes. This means that as the value of the home increases, the homeowner will pay tax on the former (lower) value. Property is defined as the house, garage, and the lot upon which it sits, or one acre, whichever is less.

To qualify:

• you must be 65 year of age or older on the year you apply, or disabled as defined by the Social Security Act
• you must have been an owner of an owner-occupied dwelling and a resident of South Dakota for at least five years (a person who received the assessment freeze in 2025 but does not meet this new criteria can still qualify)
• you must have resided for at least 200 days of the previous calendar year in the single-family dwelling (the property for which you are applying)
• your federal gross income plus any income not included in that figure (this includes Social Security Payments) must be lower than:
  • $56,595 for single member household (2025 income) (limit changes every year)
  • $66,885 for multiple member household (2025 income) (limit changes every year)
• The full and true market value of the property must be less than $514,500 (2026 assessment value) unless the applicant has received the assessment freeze in a preceding year on that property.

Check out the Tax Assistance Programs page.

Application link.