The Oglala Sioux Tribe Supports Relocation of Absentee Voting Center as Early Voting Turnout in the County is 2/3rds Lower than 2014 Numbers
South Dakota Democratic Party Executive Director Suzanne Jones Pranger issued the following statement on the urgent need for South Dakota Secretary of State Shantel Krebs and the Oglala Lakota County Auditor Sue Ganje to move the Oglala County Absentee Voting Center from its current location at the SuAnne Big Crow Center outside of Pine Ridge.
“We have been working with the Sec. Krebs and Auditor Ganje since last week to change the location to a more accessible and safe place. While the State and County continues to stall with only 14 days before the Election, early voting numbers show the negative effect this location, which is several miles outside of town and the site of a recent homicide, is having on voter turnout.”
“Our records indicate that during the first 31 days of early voting in 2014, a mid-term election year with traditionally lower turnout, there were 159 votes cast in the County. During the first 31 days of early voting in this year’s election, a presidential election year with generally higher turnout, there have only been 55 votes cast. That is nearly a 2/3rds decrease in early voter turnout in the County, showing the significance of the problem with the current location.”
“Further, it is not only our position the location needs to be moved. The Oglala Sioux Tribe also recently issued a letter to Sec. Krebs and Auditor Ganje which cited several factors necessitating the need for the location to be moved, such as the remote location, road construction impeding travel to the location, and safety concerns.”
“We hope Sec. Krebs and the County Auditor reverse their lack of responsiveness to the mounting evidence and change the Absentee Voting location immediately. Failure to do so is a failure to fulfill their duties and has the effect of disenfranchising thousands of South Dakotans.”