SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO) — Election Day is set for Tuesday, Nov. 8, 2022. 

If you haven’t voted early, KELOLAND Media Group has compiled all its coverage to help you make choices on this year’s South Dakota ballot. You can find the KELOLAND stories on the various races from the past month below. 

To view a sample ballot on the South Dakota Secretary of State’s website. The SOS wants voters to know the South Dakota Legislature recently completed the decennial legislative redistricting process, which may have changed the legislative district you reside in. You can find the new map online. 

Not sure if you’ve already registered? You can also find that information on the South Dakota Secretary of State’s website. Simply fill out your information, and if you are registered to vote, it will show you your polling location for the next election.

What are we voting on? 

Registered South Dakota voters will be voting on statewide offices, state lawmakers, county-level positions, state Supreme Court judges, circuit court judges and two ballot measures. Registered Sioux Falls voters will also be voting on a city-wide initiated measure. 

South Dakota gubernatorial race 

For Governor and Lieutenant Governor there are three candidate tickets – Jamie Smith (D-Sioux Falls) and Jennifer Keintz (D-Eden); Tracey Quint (Libertarian-Sioux Falls) and Ashley Strand (Libertarian-Rapid City); and Kristi Noem (R-Castlewood) and Larry Rhoden (R-Union Center).

• A conversation with the South Dakota gubernatorial candidates
• Tulsi Gabbard to campaign for Gov. Kristi Noem next week
• Smith on poll: ‘Those don’t agree with any of the numbers we’ve seen in other polls across the state’
• On food-tax repeal, Noem attempts 180-degree turn
• Noem with large lead in South Dakota gubernatorial race, says new poll from KELOLAND News/Emerson College/The Hill
• GOP files complaint against Jamie Smith over campaign finances
• Noem campaign accuses Smith of finance violations
• Gubernatorial candidates pre-general election finance reports
• Noem campaign is paying for veterans’ meals
• Jamie Smith joins Downtown Sioux Falls Rotary to talk hot button issues
• Noem tries to besmirch Smith for firearms votes
• Some disagreed with Noem’s handling of child care aid
• Gov. Noem says she’d serve full second 4-year term
• Smith, Noem differ on when food sales tax should be repealed
• Jamie Smith trails Gov. Kristi Noem by 4% in SDSU poll
• Noem to campaign for election denier in Arizona
• Sioux Falls man requests his image be removed from Noem’s latest attack ad

U.S. Senate race in South Dakota

In the U.S. Senate race, there are three candidates on the ballot – Brian Bengs (D-Aberdeen), Tamara Lesnar (Libertarian-Grenville) and John Thune (R-Sioux Falls). 

• U.S. Senate candidates from South Dakota discuss inflation, immigration
• Thune, Johnson hold significant leads in KELOLAND poll
• Poll shows impact of Democrat in Congressional races
• Who is donating to South Dakota candidates?

U.S. House race in South Dakota

In the U.S. Representative race, there are two candidates on the ballot – Collin Duprel (Libertarian-Vale) and Dusty Johnson (R-Mitchell). 

• Johnson, Duprel talk term limits, inflation ahead of U.S. House Election
• Thune, Johnson hold significant leads in KELOLAND poll
• Poll shows impact of Democrat in Congressional races
• Who is donating to South Dakota candidates?

Secretary of State race

In the Secretary of State race, there are two candidates – Thomas Cool (D-Sioux Falls) and Monae Johnson (R-Rapid City). 

• Secretary of State candidate on Biden 2020 win: ‘I’m not going to acknowledge that’
• Outgoing election officials support online voter registration in South Dakota

Other statewide races

For Attorney General, there is only one candidate – Marty Jackley (R-Pierre). 

In the State Auditor race, there are three candidates – Stephanie Marty (D-Sioux Falls), Rene Meyer (Libertarian-Hartford) and Richard Sattgast (R-Pierre). 

In the State Treasurer race, there are two candidates – John Cunningham (D-Sioux Falls) and Josh Haeder (R-Huron). 

In the Public Utilities Commissioner, there are two candidates – Jeffrey Barth (D-Sioux Falls) and Chris Nelson (R-Pierre). 

In the Commissioner of School and Public Lands race, there are two candidates – Timothy Azure (D-Wessington Springs) and Brock Greenfield (R-Clark). 

State legislature candidates

You may live in a district with only one candidate. In the Senate, there are 20 districts with only a Republican candidate on the ballot because there are no other opposing candidates. In the South Dakota House, there are 12 districts with only Republican candidates on the ballot because there are no other opposing candidates. 

• Yankton lawmaker, challenger discuss food sales tax
• Legislative candidates share stances on IM 27
• Where Republican candidates stand on abortion ahead of 2022 election
• Most legislative candidates support clarifying SD abortion law
• Get to know the candidates running for state legislature in your district

Below you’ll find links with the candidates’ responses from each district. KELOLAND News provided candidates with two weeks to respond to our questionnaire and stories will be updated as more responses are received.

Northern, central and eastern S.D. districts

Southeastern South Dakota Districts

Western South Dakota Districts

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What are the South Dakota ballot questions? 

All South Dakotans will vote on two statewide ballot questions – Constitutional Amendment D and Initiated Measure 27. Sioux Falls voters will also be voting on a city-initiated measure to ban the construction or permitting of new slaughterhouses with the city limits. 

What’s Amendment D? 

Constitutional Amendment D would amend the South Dakota Constitution to expand Medicaid eligibility to help provide medical coverage for low-income people in designated categories. The Legislative Research Council’s Fiscal Note for Amendment D says Medicaid expansion would cover 42,500 new individuals for a cost of $297 million, which would cost the state $32.5 million and give $63.5 million in general fund savings. 

Proponents to Medicaid expansion say it will return more federal tax money to the state and allow South Dakota to use more federal funds on residents’ health.  

Opponents to Medicaid expansion in South Dakota have said expanding health care will impact the state’s budget in the future. 

• Amendment D: The debate on Medicaid expansion
• Reaction to positive polling numbers for Medicaid, marijuana
• Medicaid expansion groups raises $2.3 million for Amendment D race
• Yes and no on Medicaid, recreational pot, poll says
• Amendment D: Candidates, proponents and opponents weigh in

What’s Initiated Measure 27? 

IM 27 would legalize marijuana in small amounts for people age 21 and older. The measure legalizes substances considered felony controlled substances under State law. Marijuana remains illegal under federal law, however President Joe Biden has called on the Secretary of Health and Human Services and the Attorney General to initiate an administrative process to review how marijuana is scheduled under federal law, where it current classifies as a Schedule I drug.

The LRC’s Fiscal Notes says IM 27 could create “marginal additional revenue in new civil penalty fines” and the state could see a “minimal decrease in expenses due to decreased incarceration for marijuana-related offenses.” 

Proponents say legalizing small amounts gives people 21 or older the freedom to choose whether to use marijuana and allows police to focus on harsher crimes.

Opponents say legal marijuana will increase marijuana use for kids and not help foster healthy families. 

• Community, law enforcement & elected leaders come out against IM 27
• Federal changes possible as SD voters weigh legal marijuana
• Reaction to positive polling numbers for Medicaid, marijuana
• Yes and no on Medicaid, recreational pot, poll says
• Checking in on both sides of the IM 27 debate
• Inside KELOLAND: Heated discussion on legalizing marijuana in South Dakota
• Recreational marijuana: Both sides of the issue

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Sioux Falls Slaughterhouse Initiated Measure 

This measure would ban new slaughterhouses from being built and permitted to operate inside the city limits of Sioux Falls. It would not pertain to any existing slaughterhouses constructed and operating before the effective date of the measure. 

Voters will then decide whether to adopt the ordinance by voting “yes”, thus banning any new slaughterhouses in Sioux Falls, or reject the ordinance with a “no” vote.

Proponents started this ballot measure in response to Wholestone Farms’ announcement to build a hog-processing facility on 175 acres near Interstate 229 and Benson Road. Wholestone Farms has constructed a “custom slaughterhouse” and already held a ribbon cutting before the initiated measure could take effect.

Proponents say slaughterhouse’s impact on the city will be negative and want to see them operate outside of the city limits. 

Opponents to the initiated measure have said the ban would hurt future businesses from coming to Sioux Falls and harm the agriculture industry and other industries in the area. 

• Big Sioux River advocacy group neutral on slaughterhouse ordinance
• What does a yes, no vote mean on the slaughterhouse ordinance?
• Ribbon cut on Wholestone Farms’ butcher shop
• Judge denies Smart Growth injunction to stop Wholestone butcher shop
• Wholestone Farms says construction is done

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Circuit judges

Along with candidates and ballot questions, voters will vote on circuit judges. 

According to the South Dakota Unified Judicial System, circuit judges are elected by voters in the circuit they represent every eight years and in 2022, all 44 circuit judges in South Dakota are subject to election. South Dakota is split into seven circuit courts, Minnehaha and Lincoln Counties are the only two counties in the second circuit.

South Dakota’s judge elections are nonpartisan elections and the special committee on judicial election campaign intervention provides advisory opinions on ethical issues that come up during judicial elections. 

That committee has issued two opinions this year regarding campaign finance disclosure reports and code of judicial conduct to family members.  

KELOLAND News will have complete coverage of Election Day 2022 on-air and online throughout the day and as results come in.