SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO) – It’s decision day in South Dakota.
Voters will be able to cast ballots starting at 7 a.m. local time and polls will remain open until 7 p.m. local time. First election results aren’t expected until after 8 p.m. CT when polls close in western South Dakota.
Be informed on the seven 2024 ballot measures
KELOLAND News will have live coverage throughout Election Day and Tuesday night with results and reaction from campaigns.
There are a number of statewide races to be decided including U.S. President, U.S. House of Representative, Public Utilities Commissioner, South Dakota Supreme Court Justice retention and seven statewide ballot measures.
There’s also local legislative and county-wide issues in some areas of the state. Before you go to vote, find a sample ballot on the South Dakota Secretary of State’s website.
U.S. President
There are four candidates on South Dakota’s ballot for U.S. President — Democrat Kamala Harris, Republican Donald Trump, Libertarian Chase Oliver and Independent Robert Kennedy Jr.
KELOLAND News looked at both economic plans for Trump and Harris after the ABC News Presidential Debate in early September.
In 2020, Trump won South Dakota with more than 60% of the vote (62%-36%) and he won in 2016 with 62% of the vote (62%-32%).
U.S. House
For South Dakota’s lone U.S. House seat, Republican Dusty Johnson and Democrat Sheryl Johnson are the two options on the ballot. Both candidates sat down with KELOLAND News to discuss issues facing South Dakota and the country.
Sheryl said one of the reasons she decided to run was on the issue of abortion. During one of her own pregnancies, her baby had fetal abnormalities and a procedure was needed. She said she wants women to have that same care now and that the states shouldn’t decide a woman’s choice.
“I don’t think women’s rights should vary depending on what state they live in,” she said. “I don’t think the state should have the power to make the decision for women on what happens to their body in their reproductive or health care decisions.”
Dusty doesn’t support a federal abortion ban either, however he does believe the states should make the decision on abortion access.
“One of the things that Dobbs decision did is really return this power to the citizens,” Dusty said. “I got to admit when the left acted like the world was ending because of the Dobbs decision, I was frankly a little taken aback. I mean, what the Dobbs decision did is that we should not have nine old people in black robes make this decision. We should let the people of South Dakota make this decision.”
He also said he would be voting no on Amendment G, South Dakota’s abortion ballot measure.
7 statewide ballot measures
Constitutional Amendment E
- Amendment E proposes an elimination of references to men regarding various state offices and, by so doing, make the Constitution more open to women and men alike. It would remove gender referenced in the constitution.
Constitutional Amendment F
- Amendment F would further amend the South Dakota Constitution so that the state government could place work requirements on many of the adults enrolled in Medicaid benefits under the expanded eligibility.
Constitutional Amendment G
- A ‘yes’ vote on Amendment G would support South Dakota providing a state constitutional right to an abortion under a specific framework.
Constitutional Amendment H
- Amendment H would eliminate partisan primaries such as Democratic Party or Republican Party primaries within the state. Rather, voters would vote for whatever candidate they like in an open primary, and the top two voters would face off in the general election, regardless of which party they belong to.
Initiated Measure 28
- IM 28, if passed, would begin the process to remove the sales tax from some items meant for human consumption.
Initiated Measure 29
- IM 29 is a ballot measure intended to legalize adult-use recreational marijuana in the state of South Dakota.
Referred Law 21
- Referred Law 21 is Senate Bill 201 which passed the State Legislature in 2024. The state Attorney General said the law allows counties to impose a $1 per foot surcharge on carbon dioxide pipelines, requires CO2 pipelines to be buried at a minimum depth and requires that business operations must be started within five years of the easement. A yes vote on Referred Law 21 would allow the bill to become law.
A poll conducted by Emerson College for KELOLAND/The Hill of South Dakota voters indicates that five of the ballot measures face an uphill battle. Check out those poll results here.
3 candidates for Public Utilities Commission
Republican Kristie Fiegen of Sioux Falls, Libertarian Gideon Oakes of Keystone and Democrat Forrest Wilson of Lead. The election is for a six-year term. Fiegen currently holds the seat. KELOLAND News Capitol Bureau reporter Bob Mercer asked each of the candidates the same questions.
South Dakota legislature candidates
While all 105 seats for the South Dakota Legislature are up for election, you may live in a district with only one legislative candidate.
Republicans currently hold a 31-4 majority in the Senate and a 63-7 majority in the House. Republicans are unopposed for 17 Senate seats and are guaranteed to win at least 35 House seats. Democrats on the other hand have one unopposed Senate seat and two unopposed House seats.
One Democrat, Liz Larson in District 10 in Sioux Falls, is lone candidate for the Senate and the Democratic Party is guaranteed at least two seats in the House.
The legislature’s current breakdown is 94 Republicans and 11 Democrats between the two chambers.
KELOLAND’s Bob Mercer looked at how Tuesday’s election could impact who will be legislative leaders for the 2025 session.
South Dakota voter numbers
As of Nov. 1, 2024, there were 624,153 total voters in the state, with 63,898 listed as inactive.
Here’s the breakdown:
- Republicans: 316,474 registered voters
- Democrats: 145,998 registered voters
- Independents: 90,374 registered voters
- NPA (no party affiliation): 67,294 registered voters
- Libertarians: 2,975 registered voters
- Other: 961 registered voters
Election monitoring
The United States Justice Department will monitor compliance with federal voting rights laws in three counties on the Pine Ridge Reservation and in Minnehaha County for the Nov. 5 election.
In addition, Assistant U.S. Attorney (AUSA) Ann M. Hoffman will lead the efforts of her Office in connection with the Justice Department’s nationwide Election Day Program.
“Every citizen must be able to vote without interference or discrimination and to have that vote
counted in a fair and free election,” U.S. Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell said in a news release. “Similarly, election officials and staff must be able to serve without being subject to unlawful threats of violence. The Department of Justice is committed to protecting the integrity of the election process and bringing to justice those who seek to corrupt it.”
On Election Day, Civil Rights Division personnel will be available all day to receive questions
and complaints from the public related to possible violations of federal voting rights laws. Reports may be made through the department’s website www.civilrights.justice.gov or by calling toll-free at 800-253-3931. The U.S. Attorney’s Office will also be available to receive complaints on Election Day at (605) 838-9446.
Individuals with questions or complaints related to the ADA may call the department’s toll-free ADA information hotline at 800-514-0301 or 833-610-1264 (TTY) or submit a complaint through a link on the department’s ADA website at www.ada.gov.
Complaints related to any disruptions at a polling place should always be reported to local election officials (including officials based in the polling place). Complaints related to violence, threats of violence or intimidation at a polling place should be reported immediately to local police authorities by calling 911. These complaints should also be reported to the department after local authorities have been contacted.
