South Dakota Voter Guide
Details on how to register and vote and what's on the ballot in the June 4 primary election.
The process of casting and counting votes in South Dakota and U.S. elections has become a major point of discussion. Credible information can be hard to hard to find. This guide seeks to help as a resource leading up to the June 4 primary election and then the Nov. 5 general election.
Sources for this guide include the South Dakota Secretary of State's office and original reporting. It only includes information on statewide and legislative races. For local contests, consult your county auditor's website or local media outlet.
Your voice matters
South Dakota News Watch wants to hear not just from the candidates but from the voters. What questions need to be asked of those who seek to lead our state? You can review and submit the form below to highlight issues you consider most critical heading into the 2024 legislative and statewide elections.
Key election dates
Here are key dates for 2024:
- April 19: Absentee voting started (see your ballot)
- May 20: Voter registration deadline (learn how to register)
- June 4: primary election
- Sept. 20: Absentee voting begins
- Nov. 5: general election
Where do I vote?
Find your polling place by visiting the Voter Information Portal. Your polling place is also listed on the voter acknowledgment notice you received from your county auditor after you registered.
When are the polls open in South Dakota?
Polls are open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. local time on Election Day.
Stu Whitney
What do I need to bring to vote?
All voters who appear at a polling place must show proof of identification. 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
- Current student photo identification card from a South Dakota high school or South Dakota accredited institution of higher education
- Tribal photo ID
If you do not have a photo ID, you can sign a personal identification affidavit and will still be allowed to vote a regular ballot.
Who are the candidates?
The list below includes statewide and legislative offices that will be contested in South Dakota's June 4 primary election. Candidates are listed in alphabetical order and by party. Incumbents are noted with an asterisk(*). Independent candidates do not appear on the primary ballot but go straight to the general election ballot.
U.S. president
Democrats:
*Joe Biden
Armando Perez-Serrato
Dean Phillips
Marianne Williamson
Republican: Donald Trump
U.S. representative
Democrat: Sheryl Johnson
Republican: *Dusty Johnson
South Dakota Legislature
Here is a map of South Dakota's 35 legislative districts. To find out which district you vote in, click the dark link below.
Here are legislative candidates, by political party, for South Dakota's 35 legislative districts, each which of has one senator and two representatives.
District 1 Senate:
*Mike Rohl (R)
District 1 House:
Logan Manhart (R)
Christopher Reder (R)
*Tamara St. John (R)
Steven D. McCleerey (D)
Dana Pulfrey (D)
District 2 Senate:
*Steve Kolbeck (R)
District 2 House:
*David Kull (R)
Jake Schoenbeck (R)
*John Sjaarda (R)
Stu WhitneyDistrict 3 Senate:
Carl Perry (R)
Katie Washnok (R)
District 3 House:
Al Novstrup (R)
*Brandei Schaefbauer (R)
Erin Rudner (D)
District 4 Senate:
Fred Deutsch (R)
Stephanie Sauder (R)
District 4 House:
Barbara Guenette (R)
Dylan Jordan (R)
Vanessa Namken (R)
Kent Roe (R)
District 5 Senate:
Glen Vilhauer (R)
Russell Ronke (D)
District 5 House:
*Byron Callies (R)
Josephine Garcia (R)
Matt Roby (R)
Diane Drake (D)
Amy Rambow (D)
District 6 Senate:
Ernie Otten (R)
District 6 House:
*Aaron Aylward (R)
Wendi Hogan (R)
Herman Otten (R)
Garret Campbell (D)
District 7 Senate:
*Tim Reed (R)
Patty Bacon (D)
District 7 House:
*Roger DeGroot (R)
*Mellissa Heermann (R)
Jeffrey Struwe (R)
Penny Hauffe (D)
Cole Sartell (D)
District 8 Senate:
*Casey Crabtree (R)
Rick Weible (R)
District 8 House:
*Tim Reisch (R)
Matt Wagner (R)
Tim Walburg (R)
District 9 Senate:
Joy Hohn (R)
Mark K. Willadsen (R)
District 9 House:
Daryl Christensen (R)
Kristi Golden (R)
Tesa Schwans (R)
*Bethany Soye (R)
Beverly Froslie Johnson (D)
District 10 Senate:
*Liz Larson (D)
District 10 House:
Bobbi Andera (R)
*Erin Healy (D)
*Kameron Nelson (D)
District 11 Senate:
Steve Natz (D)
Chris Karr (R)
District 11 House:
John Kunnari (R)
Bill Linsenmeyer (R)
*Brian Mulder (R)
Keri Weems (R)
Aaron Matson (D)
Sonja Mentzer (D)
Stu Whitney
District 12 Senate:
*Arch Beal (R)
Clay Hoffman (D)
District 12 House:
*Amber Arlint (R)
*Greg Jamison (R)
Manny Steele (R)
JR Anderson (D)
Erin Royer (D)
District 13 Senate:
Sue Peterson (R)
Ali Rae Horstead (D)
District 13 House:
Penny BayBridge (R)
John Hughes (R)
Brad Jankord (R)
*Tony Venhuizen (R)
District 14 Senate:
Sandra Henry (D)
*Larry Zikmund (R)
District 14 House:
Tony Kayser (R)
*Taylor Rehfeldt (R)
*Tyler Tordsen (R)
Keith Block (D)
B.J. Motley (D)
District 15 Senate:
Brenda Lawrence (R)
Jamie Smith (D)
District 15 House:
Brad Lindwurm (R)
Joni Tschetter (R)
Erik Muckey (D)
*Kadyn Wittman (D)
District 16 Senate:
Kevin Jensen (R)
Eric Hohman (R)
District 16 House:
Brian Burge (R)
*Karla Lems (R)
Richard Vasgaard (R)
Matthew Carl Ness (D)
District 17 Senate:
*Sydney Davis (R)
Jeffrey Church (R)
District 17 House:
*Chris Kassin (R)
Robin Schiro (R)
*Bill Shorma (R)
Ray Ring (D)
District 18 Senate:
*Jean Hunhoff (R)
Lauren Nelson (R)
Dennis Menke (D)
District 18 House:
*Julie Auch (R)
John Marquardt (R)
*Mike Stevens (R)
Paul Harens (D)
Sarah Mechtenberg (D)
District 19 Senate:
*Kyle Schoenfish (R)
District 19 House:
*Jessica Bahmller (R)
Steven Mettler (R)
*Drew Peterson (R)
District 20 Senate:
Paul Miskimins (R)
Gary Steichen (D)
District 20 House:
Jeff Bathke (R)
*Ben Krohmer (R)
Don Schmidt (D)
John Schmidt (D)
District 21 Senate:
*Erin Tobin (R)
Mykala Voita (R)
Dan Anderson (D)
District 21 House:
Jim Halverson (R)
*Marty Overweg (R)
Lee Qualm (R)
District 22 Senate:
*David Wheeler (R)
Jim Schmidt (D)
District 22 House:
Lana Greenfield (R)
Terry Nebelsick (R)
Kevin Van Diepen (R)
District 23 Senate:
Steven Ray Roseland (R)
Mark Lapka (R)
District 23 House:
Spencer Gosch (R)
*Scott Moore (R)
*James Wangsness (R)
District 24 Senate:
*Jim Mehlhaff (R)
District 24 House:
*Will Mortenson (R)
*Mike Weisgram (R)
District 25 Senate:
Jordan Youngberg (R)
*Tom Pischke (R)
Brian Wirth (D)
District 25 House:
*Jon Hansen (R)
Les Heinemann (R)
District 26 Senate:
Tamara Grove (R)
*Shawn Bordeaux (D)
District 26A House:
Ron Frederick (R)
*Eric Emery (D)
District 26B House:
*Rebecca Reimer (R)
District 27 Senate:
Anthony Kathol (R)
Bruce Whalen (R)
Gerald Cournoyer Jr. (D)
*Red Dawn Foster (D)
District 27 House:
*Liz May (R)
Elsie Meeks (D)
*Peri Pourier (D)
District 28 Senate:
Sam Marty (R)
Susan Peterson (R)
Dean Schrempp (D)
District 28A House:
Jana Hunt (R)
Ryan Maher (R)
Carl Petersen (D)
District 28B House:
Travis Ismay (R)
Travis Martin (R)
District 29 Senate:
John Carley (R)
Kirk Chaffee (R)
District 29 House:
*Gary Cammack (R)
Terri Jorgenson (R)
Kathy Rice (R)
Bart Pfankuch
District 30 Senate:
*Julie Frye-Mueller (R)
Forrest Foster (R)
Amber Hulse (R)
Bret Swanson (D)
District 30 House:
Pat Baumann (R)
Tim Goodwin (R)
*Trish Ladner (R)
Matthew Monfore (R)
Stephen Saint (R)
Matt Smith (R)
Susan Scheirbeck (D)
District 31 Senate:
*Randy Deibert (R)
Kate Crowley-Johnson (R)
District 31 House:
*Mary Fitzgerald (R)
Mark Mowry (R)
*Scott Odenbach (R)
District 32 Senate:
*Helene Duhamel (R)
District 32 House:
*Steve Duffy (R)
Brook Kaufman (R)
John Robert James (R)
Nicole Uhre-Balk (D)
District 33 Senate:
*David Johnson (R)
Curt Voigt (R)
District 33 House:
*Phil Jensen (R)
*Curt Massie (R)
District 34 Senate:
Jason Green (R)
Taffy Howard (R)
Michael Calabrese (D)
District 34 House:
Heather Baxter (R)
*Mike Derby (R)
*Becky Drury (R)
District 35 Senate:
Greg Blanc (R)
Curtis Nupen (R)
*Michael Walsh (R)
District 35 House:
Tina Mulally (R)
Tony Randolph (R)
Pat Cromwell (D)
Jason Lind (D)
This story was produced by South Dakota News Watch, an independent, nonprofit news organization. Read more in-depth stories at sdnewswatch.org and sign up for an email every few days to get stories as soon as they're published. Contact Stu Whitney at stu.whitney@sdnewswatch.org.
