PIERRE, S.D. (KELO.com) — South Dakota Secretary of State Steve Barnett will not do a mass mailing of absentee ballot applications for the November election.

He did it for the June Primary and included a box on that application for voters who also wanted a ballot for November.

He says if COVID-19 really spikes in the months ahead, he would re-consider another mailing.

There’s a national debate about the integrity of mail-in voting systems for the November election. But Barnett has faith in South Dakota’s system.

Barnett says his office already has at least 97,000 requests for absentee ballots for the general election, and he expects that to grow in the weeks ahead.

The first day for absentee voting in South Dakota is Sept. 18.