VOTERS WILL HAVE THEIR SAY TUESDAY
Local race features battle for District 19 Senate seat; ballot measures to be decided include grocery tax repeal, legalization of abortion, marijuana
The Freeman Community Center, Helena Agri-Enterprises LLC in Menno, the American Legion Hall in Marion and the Bridgewater Fire Hall will be among the numerous polling places in Hutchinson, Turner and McCook counties where registered voters will weigh in on the 2024 General Election set for next Tuesday, Nov. 4.
For specific voting locations, visit the State Voter Information Portal (V.I.P.) at the South Dakota Secretary of State’s website — vip.sdsos.gov — and enter your first and last name and zip code; you will also be asked to enter a case-sensitive verification code before being directed to your voting location.
Polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. across the state.
All voters must show proof of identification or sign a personal identification affidavit at their polling place. Approved forms of photo identification include:
South Dakota driver’s license or nondriver ID card
U.S. government photo ID such as a passport
U.S. Armed Forces ID
n Current student photo identification card from a South Dakota high school or South Dakota accredited institution of higher education
Tribal photo ID
While the presidential race featuring this country’s two major political parties — Democrat and current vice president Kamala Harris and Republican and former president Donald Trump — is the most visible race nationally, area voters will decide a number of local and state contests, as well as ballot measures specific to South Dakota.
Among them:
Voters living in District 19 will decide a state Senate race between incumbent Kyle Schoenfish, a Republican from Scotland, and challenger Michael J. Miller, an independent from Freeman. Schoenfish, 36, is a Certified Public Accountant and has served in the state legislature since 2012. Miller, 56, is a farmer who is running for election to be a voice for the farming/ranching communities.
District 19 voters will also see on their ballot a choice for state House featuring incumbents Jessica Bahmuller and Drew Peterson; voters may vote for one or two of the candidates who, without a challenger, will be re-elected to office.
There are seven ballot issues at stake in this year’s election that would change laws in South Dakota:
Constitutional Amendment G would legalize abortion;
Constitutional Amendment H would put candidates for state and national office in an “open primary,” meaning all registered voters could vote for any candidate regardless of political affiliation. The top two vote-getters would advance to the general election;
Constitutional Amendment F would impose work requirements for Medicaid eligibility, an amendment to the constitution that was passed by the state Senate during the 2024 session;
Constitutional Amendment E would eliminate male-only gender references pertaining to state officials, such as “he shall be commander-in-chief” instead reading “the Governor shall be commander-in-chief;”
Initiated Measure 28 would prohibit the state collecting sales tax on groceries, or “anything sold for human consumption, except alcoholic beverages and prepared food;”
Initiated Measure 29 would legalize recreational marijuana;
Referred Law 21 would keep or kill Senate Bill 201 passed by the state legislature in 2024. The measure would strengthen landowners’ rights when it comes to negotiations with potential carbon pipelines like Summit Carbon Solutions, which is seeking approval for a pipeline that would carry liquified carbon dioxide gas from 50 ethanol plans in South Dakota and four other states.
And, in addition to the race for the U.S. President ticket between Kamala Harris/Tim Walz (D), Robert F. Kennedy/Nicole Shanahan (I), Chase Oliver/Mike ter Maat (L) and Donald Trump/JD Vance (R), voters in South Dakota will also decide:
The race for U.S. House between incumbent Dusty Johnson (R) and challenger Cheryl Johnson (D);
The race for South Dakota PUC between incumbent Kristie Fiegen (R) and challengers A. Gideon Oakes (L) and Forrest Wilson (D).
