RAPID CITY, S.D. (KBHB) — The Pennington County Auditor’s office has a message for voters: read your absentee ballot application and instructions carefully.

Auditor Cindy Mohler is the county’s chief election officer. She says the COVID-19 push for social distancing is driving the push to maximize early voting by mail-in ballot.

But she says, fill out that application form fully and correctly, and include the proper documents.

The annual parlor game is, guessing what the voter turnout will actually be. Mohler says the wave of mail-out forms from her office might cause its own increase in voter participation this election cycle.

The bottom line: to make your vote count, or even get your ballot in the mail, read the instructions and follow them.