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What Sioux Falls' first-time voters and veterans are saying

Posted on by Kennedy
What Sioux Falls' first-time voters and veterans are saying

Amid a contentious vote, Sioux Falls residents flocked to the polls Tuesday morning to cast their votes in the 2024 general election.

From first-time voters to seasoned election veterans, here's what Sioux Falls residents have to say about long lines, overall voter turnout and experience, presidential candidates and Election Day voting issues.

An eager voter line on the west side

The parking lot at Memorial Middle School was full. And it wasn't the fault of the teachers.

The line out the door was long, but spirits were good, and volunteers inside said they had already greeted nearly 2,000 voters by 10 a.m

“I feel great anticipation today,” said voter Grant Ericksen before leaving the site for Precincts 16 and 17. “I think good thoughts and keep a positive attitude. We just have to keep going.”

His wife was confident she voted “no” on South Dakota’s Amendment G and “yes” on the state’s Amendment IM 29. Both she and her husband voted for former President Donald Trump.

“Given the early Republican turnout, (this election) is too big to be rigged,” Jody Ericksen said.

Voter Zoey Kruse walked past her and said the same thing.

“It’s going to be a big day,” Kruse said. “'I think we're going to win in a landslide. Dear Lord, make it so big that they can’t manipulate it.”

Retired couple Elaine and John Dotter were not so convinced by the Republican candidacy.

“Honestly, I wish we could have had two better candidates,” John Dotter said.

He and his wife moved from the East Coast to South Dakota less than two years ago to be closer to their daughter and two grandchildren.

“I'm worried that (Trump) will avenge his last defeat, and I'm also unsure about his health,” he said. “There should be an age limit.”

“And then Kamala supported (President Joe) Biden the whole time, but when she decided to run (for president), she started saying, 'Well, that's not me anymore.' Well, it was like that for four years,” added his wife, Elaine Dotter.

More: Everything you need to know about voting in the 2024 election

Charlee Kolb, 18, voted for the first time. She's a freshman at Augustana University, standing outside in the cool drizzle with her proud father, Charles Kolb.

“That is The Election to vote for the first time,” Charlee Kolb said. “There are two very different paths our country can take depending on who wins, and I am confident I am choosing the right path. I’ve done all my research.”

Charles Kolb said he was excited to finally show her how he has voted in every election he has been able to vote in, even absentee when he was in Africa with the Peace Corps years ago.

“This is an important time that I wanted to share with her,” he said. “There are things that are cause for concern, but everyone has the right to express their opinion.”

Samantha Mrazek, 22, voted with Active Generations in her second general election on Tuesday. Mrazek said she had a smooth experience voting in Sioux Falls for the first time. She said politics affects everyone, which is why it's hard not to care about the election.

“I think this election is so important because it's really about preserving democracy and fighting for the things that make America what it's meant to be,” Mrazek said. “Of freedom, acceptance and welcoming people, and I think that’s so important to preserve.”

There are always two sides

At the Siouxland Libraries downtown, a Democratic voter stood in a short line during her lunch break, relieved to finally be able to speak out after an election season in which she had felt silent. She asked not to be named due to labor disputes and safety concerns.

“I hate that I have to hide my feelings,” she said Tuesday, while expressing gratitude for the local media for supporting voters’ choice. “When I grew up in the '70s and '80s you could have different opinions and still love each other, but now I'm punished if I don't think a certain way.”

But then a fellow voter and election worker thanked him for finally feeling heard. He became an American citizen just last year, and this was his first presidential election.

“It's nice to be part of the decision and the future of this great country,” said Jayro Carrillo, who emigrated from Guatemala and received his citizenship last May at a ceremony at the Washington Pavilion along with 150 others from 25 different countries has.

He decided to voluntarily immerse himself in the “true American experience.”

Relief on election day

Dejae Mikkelsen, a volunteer at the polling station, said they were relieved to finally have arrived on election day. He had two exclamation points after his name on his name tag and greeted every voter in the downtown library with a big smile and a “thanks for coming.”

“I feel a lot less anxious than I did yesterday and in the months before,” he said. “You always have these foresights, but now we are in the moment. It feels great to be here.”

A change of mood

Nancy Seiler voted for Donald Trump in 2020, but said she no longer has as much confidence in the candidate four years later. The woman, originally from North Carolina, said she was worried about the country.

“This is no longer a Republican party,” said Seiler.

Seiler, a former Peace Corps volunteer, sent messages to representatives expressing her concerns.

“But my family is still supportive,” Seiler said. “And I keep saying, 'I love you, but how can you be so stupid?'”

A smooth election process

County leaders across the city seemed to think the vote went smoothly.

Judy Swearingen, district manager for District 01-04, said Active Generations had a consistent line throughout the morning. Two districts reported voting on Active Generations.

Swearingen expected a rush of voters around noon, during the lunch rush.

“Well, then there’s a little rest, and that’s a good thing. And then we can readjust and prepare for next time,” Swearington said. “And then we had a wave and a wave and a wave and now it's almost, well, it's only 11 o'clock.”

Alan Gabor, the precinct manager for Precinct 01-05, said he didn't think voters would have to wait more than 10 minutes. Gabor also believed there were more early voters.

Early voting and postal voter participation

Some people avoided Tuesday's dreary weather and went to the polls early. According to its website, the South Dakota Secretary of State's office received 141,554 mail-in ballots as of Nov. 1. Postal voting ran until Monday.

According to the South Dakota Secretary of State's Office, the number of mail-in voters is down by about 75,000 compared to the 2020 general election, when 215,140 early voting ballots were received around the same time.

The secretary of state's office said both 2020 and 2024 saw higher mail-in voter turnout than the 2016 general election, which only received 102,390 mail-in ballots.

Overall voter turnout in South Dakota was about 70% in 2016 and about 74% in 2020.

This story is developing. Check back to find out more.

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