Election Day is Tuesday – Here's what you need to know in Davison County – Mitchell Republic

MITCHELL – After a long campaign season, the 2024 general election in Davison County will finally take place on Tuesday, Nov. 5. And county leaders are preparing hard and ready to welcome voters when they come to the polls.

It's expected to be a long, busy day, but Davison County Auditor Kathy Wingert said she and her county election workers will be ready to help complete the democratic process when voters arrive on Tuesday morning to cast their ballots.

“Everything is going smoothly,” Wingert told the Mitchell Republic on Monday. “I am very grateful for the team that surrounds me and what we have been able to achieve.”

It starts on Tuesday morning. Polling stations will be open at voting centers from 7 a.m. and remain open to voters until 7 p.m. local time the same evening. There are three polling locations in Davison County, the most popular being the Davison County Fairgrounds in Mitchell. There are also polling locations at the City of Ethan Tax Office, 201 E. Main St. in Ethan, and the Mount Vernon Senior Center, 110 N. Main St. in Mount Vernon.

Voters can find their polling place by visiting the Voting Information Portal on the South Dakota Secretary of State's website at vip.sdsos.gov/VIPLogin.aspx.

Wingert was busy setting up polling locations around the county on Monday while also tending to other ongoing tasks in the auditor's office. That includes processing absentee and absentee ballots, of which Wingert said the office just finished processing about 4,500.

“That’s quite a sum. It sounds to me like we're exceeding some numbers this year with our turnout, and that's just amazing,” Wingert said.

Wingert also reminds voters to bring official identification to the polls on Tuesday.

All voters who show up at a polling station must present identification. Acceptable forms of photo ID include a South Dakota driver's license or non-driver ID card, a U.S. government photo ID card, although a passport is also acceptable, a U.S. Armed Forces ID card, a current South Dakota high school student photo ID card, or …South Dakota accredited college or tribal photo ID.

If a voter does not have a photo ID, they can sign an affidavit and still be eligible to vote in a regular vote.

Marcus Traxler/Mitchell Republic

Voters are also asked not to wear clothing or other attire while voting that promotes the choice of candidates or voting issues in one way or another. Wingert said this is illegal and voters who go to the polls wearing such clothing will be asked to come back after removing the items.

“It's illegal. We call it an election campaign. No advertising for anything political, be it a constitutional amendment or a candidate,” Wingert said.

There are no local elections for Davison County voters to decide on Tuesday, and a reshuffle of candidates near the end of the election cycle resulted in no elections in the Senate and House districts of District 20. Instead, three new representatives – Paul Miskimins, Jeff Bathke and Kaley Nolz – are running unopposed and will take their seats as senator and representative, respectively, when the next session begins in January.

This leaves races for US President contested by Democrats Kamala Harris and Tim Walz and Republicans Donald Trump and JD Vance. Also on the presidential ballot are independent candidates Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Nicole Shanahan and Libertarian candidates Chase Oliver and Mike ter Maat.

Voters will also decide a U.S. House race between incumbent Republican Dusty Johnson and Democratic challenger Sheryl Johnson, along with several ballot issues ranging from the legalization of recreational marijuana to the possible repeal of the state tax on food.

Wingert said sample ballots will be available Tuesday at the Davison County Auditor's Office and polling places for those who want to see the ballot in advance and prepare accordingly. Sample ballots are also available on the South Dakota Secretary of State's website.

Also underway is direct voting for the special election scheduled for Dec. 3, in which voters will decide whether to combine the county offices of comptroller and treasurer. Wingert said voters can vote in this election through Dec. 2 at the Davison County Courthouse. This election will be conducted in a completely separate ballot.

This is Wingert's first election as the county's acting auditor, having assumed that role following the resignation of Susan Kiepke. She said poll workers and other county staff have come together to ensure the process runs smoothly. So far everything has gone according to plan, she said.

“Myself and my team have put in some long days to make sure we are doing everything we need to do for the citizens of Davison County,” Wingert said.

In a Nov. 1 announcement, the U.S. Department of Justice said it would monitor compliance with federal voting rights laws in a number of South Dakota voting districts, including Bennet, Jackson, Minnehaha and Oglala Lakota. The department will have staff available throughout the day to field questions and complaints from the public related to possible violations of federal election laws. Reports may be filed through the department's website at www.civilrights.justice.gov or by calling 800-253-3931.

The U.S. Attorney's Office also accepts complaints at 605-838-9446. The local FBI field office can be reached by the public at 605-334-6881.

Individuals with questions or complaints related to the Americans with Disabilities Act may call 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.

Erik Kaufman joined the Mitchell Republic in July 2019 as an education and features reporter. He grew up in Freeman, SD and graduated from Freeman High School. He graduated from the University of South Dakota in 1999 with a major in English and a minor in computer science. He can be reached at [email protected].