2004: The Early Vote – Breaking Barriers for Equal Access to the Ballot Box
The Problem
With competitive 2004 races for South Dakota’s U.S. Senate and House seats, Native voter turnout was more important than ever. But how were Native voters going to maintain their powerful vote share, given the expected record statewide turnout?
The Solution
Four Directions principals Barb and OJ Semans came up with an innovative plan. They would open in-person absentee voting offices in the three counties with the highest percentage of Native voters.
After two successful Native GOTV efforts, Barb and OJ realized that the offices would be a new way to reach voters that had huge advantages over traditional voter registration drives:
1. More efficient for organizers
Ordinarily, organizers have to help eligible voters register, then try to find them on Election Day to help them get to the polls. In contrast, in-person absentee voting allows an eligible voter to register and vote at the same time, reducing the effort necessary for GOTV drives, streamlining the process, and saving money.
2. Reduced burden for voters
Native voters expend valuable time and money registering to vote and then exercising the franchise. In-person absentee voting saves them time with a one-stop registration and voting process.
3. Near zero error rates
With in-person absentee voting offices, organizers bring voters to the offices, and election officials help with the registration forms on site. Opportunities for error are virtually eliminated.
The Four Directions Approach
Opening in-person absentee voting offices required the formal support of county commissions, so Four Directions had to move quickly:
1. Education
Four Directions presented information about the absentee voting offices to the Shannon, Todd, and Buffalo county commissions and explained why they made sense for their constituents.
2. Negotiation
Four Directions identified options to quell the county commissioners’ concerns. Chief among them was cost, so Four Directions offered to pay the expenses associated with the satellite locations — a move the South Dakota Secretary of State erroneously told county officials might violate federal election laws.
3. Pre-clearance
To rebut the Secretary of State’s irresponsible claims, Four Directions helped counties get pre-clearance in a timely fashion from the U.S. Department of Justice.
Result
Within weeks, the USDOJ pre-cleared satellite voting offices for Shannon, Todd, and Buffalo counties, and the three counties opened the satellite offices for which Four Directions had asked and paid.
In each county, Four Directions was ready with a team of organizers whose initial target was to help 2,000 Native voters cast a ballot before Election Day. By Election Day, Four Directions helped more than 4,000 Native voters cast a ballot early, and as a result 2004 Native voter turnout more than doubled over the previous presidential election.
