South Dakota

‘Top two’ primary election measure makes South Dakota’s November ballot

Published

1 month ago

May 22, 2024

‘Top two’ primary election measure makes South Dakota’s November ballot

MAY 22, 2024:

South Dakota Secretary of State Monae L. Johnson announces that a petition submitted for an initiated constitutional amendment was validated and filed by her office Tuesday (May 21, 2024). This ballot question would amend the Constitution of South Dakota to establish top-two primary elections. The title for the ballot question will be Constitutional Amendment H, and it will appear on the 2024 General Election ballot on November 5, 2024.

An initiated amendment currently requires 35,017 valid signatures in order to appear on the ballot. As outlined in SDCL § 2-1-16, the Secretary of State’s Office conducted a random sample of the petition signatures and found 84.47 percent to be valid. Additional part-time staff was hired to assist with the validation process. Based on the results of the random sample, 36,350 signatures were deemed valid.

Upon the filing of an initiated amendment, any citizen may challenge the Secretary of State’s validation of the initiated amendment under SDCL § 2-1-17.1. Citizens challenging the validation must submit an original, signed affidavit listing out each specific deficiency to the Secretary of State’s Office no more than 30 days after validation. Affidavits submitted electronically will not be accepted. For this initiated amendment, the deadline to file a challenge is Thursday, June 20, 2024, at 5:00 pm central time.

More information on specific ballot questions can be found on the Secretary of State’s website: https://sdsos.gov/elections-voting/upcoming-elections/general-information/2024/2024-ballot-questions.aspx.

MAY 7, 2024:

Secretary of State Monae L. Johnson’s office received petitions this afternoon for an initiated measure legalizing the recreational use, possession, and distribution of marijuana. If validated and certified, the ballot question will appear on the general election ballot on November 5, 2024. The deadline to submit ballot question petitions to the Secretary of State is Tuesday, May 7, at 5:00 p.m. central time.

Petitions will be reviewed by the Secretary of State’s office in the order in which they were received. Below is a chart indicating the order of submission:

In order to qualify to be placed on the 2024 general election ballot, an Initiated Measure requires 17,508 valid signatures and a Constitutional Amendment requires 35,017 valid signatures. As outlined in South Dakota Codified Law 2-1-16 and 2-1-17, the Secretary of State’s office will now conduct a random sampling of the petition signatures to determine the validity.

Ballot measures submitted to the Secretary of State’s office previously had a deadline for submission which was one year out from the general election. After a law change in 2023, ballot measure petitions have until the first Tuesday in May to file. The Secretary of State’s office has until August 13, 2024, to finish validating petitions.

Individuals who wish to have their name withdrawn from a ballot measure petition must submit written notification to the Secretary of State’s office any time before the petition from which the individual is submitting is filed and certified for placement on the general election ballot.

MAY 6, 2024:

Secretary of State Monae L. Johnson’s office received petitions Monday afternoon (May 6, 2024) for an initiated amendment to the South Dakota Constitution establishing top-two primary elections. If validated and certified, the ballot question will appear on the general election ballot on November 5, 2024. The deadline to submit ballot question petitions to the Secretary of State is Tuesday, May 7, at 5:00 p.m. central time.

Petitions will be reviewed by the Secretary of State’s office in the order in which they were received. Below is a chart indicating the order of submission:

UNDATED (AP)- Supporters of a “top two” primary election system in South Dakota that would replace the current partisan process with one open to all voters have submitted thousands more petition signatures than required to bring a vote this fall on their ballot initiative.

On Monday (May 6, 2024), South Dakota Open Primaries sponsors said they submitted petitions with 47,000 signatures to Secretary of State Monae Johnson’s office. The measure group needs 35,017 valid signatures to make the November ballot. Johnson’s office has until Aug. 13 to validate the measure, a proposed constitutional amendment.

Under South Dakota’s current primary election system, candidates in gubernatorial, congressional, legislative and county races compete in a partisan primary. The measure would allow all candidates to compete against each other in one primary, and the top two vote-getters in each race or for each seat would advance to the general election. A similar measure failed in 2016.

Other states such as California and Washington have “top two” primary elections similar to the measure proposed in South Dakota.

Measure sponsor Deanna “De” Knudson, a registered Republican, said she doesn’t think the state has a fair system, in that it “excludes about half of the voters from the real race, and we just really believe that this is a fairness issue.”

Republicans control South Dakota’s Legislature and hold all statewide elected offices and congressional seats. Democrats haven’t won a statewide election since 2008, when former U.S. Sen. Tim Johnson and U.S. Rep. Stephanie Herseth Sandlin won reelection to their last terms.

South Dakota has nearly 602,000 registered voters, including 304,000 Republicans and 144,000 Democrats, but people registered as “no party affiliation” or “independent” total nearly 150,000 voters, according to online voter registration tracking.

State Republican Party Chairman and state Sen. John Wiik said he vehemently opposes the measure. He said he sees “no good coming out of it for the Republican Party.” The state GOP’s central committee unanimously opposed the measure, he said.

“I want Republicans to be able to choose the Republican candidate, and Democrats to choose the Democrat candidate,” Wiik said. “If you want to be an independent, then you’re independent of the decisions that affect your lives.”

Knudson said the measure would bring a much more competitive process and “will make sure that the winning candidate is the one most South Dakotans agree on.” She questioned the balance of power in the Legislature, where Democrats hold 11 of 105 seats, and whether that is truly reflective of voters’ will.

State Democratic Party Executive Director Dan Ahlers said the party hasn’t taken a stance on the measure. The Democratic Party allows “no party affiliation” and independent voters to vote in its primary, along with registered Democrats.

MAY 2, 2024:

The South Dakota Secretary of State’s Office has received petitions (May 1, 2024) for an initiated amendment establishing a right to abortion in the state constitution. If validated and certified, the ballot question will appear on the general election ballot on November 5, 2024. The deadline to submit ballot question petitions to the Secretary of State is Tuesday (May 7, 2024) at 5:00pm Central Time.

Petitions will be reviewed by the Secretary of State’s office in the order in which they were received. Below is a chart indicating the order of submission:

APRIL 25, 2024:

Secretary of State Monae L. Johnson’s office received petitions for a ballot question Wednesday (April 24, 2024). If validated and certified, the ballot question will appear on the general election ballot on November 5, 2024.

Individuals who wish to have to have their name withdrawn from a ballot measure petition must submit written notification to the Secretary of State’s office any time before the petition from which the individual is submitting is filed and certified for placement on the general election ballot.

The deadline to submit ballot question petitions to the Secretary of State is May 7, at 5:00 p.m. central time.

Ballot measures submitted to the Secretary of State’s office previously had a deadline for submission which was one year out from the general election. After a law change in 2023, ballot measure petitions have until the first Tuesday in May to file. Ballot measures will be a top priority for the Secretary of State’s office, along with assisting voters and county auditors with absentee voting and questions for the June 4, 2024, Primary Election.

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South Dakota

Flooded farmland in southeastern South Dakota

Published

2 hours ago

June 22, 2024

Press Room

Flooded farmland in southeastern South Dakota

SOUTH DAKOTA, S.D. (KELO) – Flooded fields are a common sight all around southeastern South Dakota after this week’s rain.

Now farmers are dealing with the aftermath as even more storms are forecasted.

We found flooded farmland that now looks more like a river just outside of Davis in Turner County. The owners of the land say their pumpkin patch and sweet corn fields are all under water after more than eight inches of rain fell.

Some farmhouses in rural South Dakota are now completely surrounded by water with silos and barns on islands of their own near Viborg.

Over in Yankton County, you can hardly tell where the boundaries of the James River are in one field.

It’s not just flooded fields that some farmers are having to deal with, one farmer near Lesterville in Yankton County has had some issues because of a rising creek.

“Our creeks are full, you know,” farmer Daniel Kubal said. “We’re a little concerned with livestock out there, it did sweep away a baby calf yesterday for us and, you know, it can be devastating when you’re dealing with livestock in these high creeks and things like that.”

Kubal says the flooding he’s seeing isn’t as bad as farms to the north of him, but he’s made sure his cattle are moved up to higher ground to prepare for the next rounds of rain.

“Rain is good, it’s hard to turn away, you know,” Kubal said. “You just kind of got to go with it. We know what it’s like when we don’t have it. It’s a blessing when you do and sometimes you just get way more than you need. You just learn to deal with it.”

The farmer I spoke with in Davis, South Dakota, says it’s been about four years since they’ve seen rain this heavy.

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South Dakota

Flooding, train derailment impacting northwest Iowa

Published

9 hours ago

June 21, 2024

Press Room

Flooding, train derailment impacting northwest Iowa

ROCK RAPIDS, Iowa (Dakota News Now) – Flooding hasn’t been just an issue in South Dakota. In northwest Iowa, families and communities are bracing for rising river levels and flash flooding as the rain continues to fall.

The Island Park Campground in Rock Rapids is hardly recognizable. Brendon Leuthold had stopped by on his way home after work to look at the water from the Rock River, wondering if he would be able to make it home.

“Yep, it did go down a little bit, so it probably would’ve been okay, but it’s definitely something to think about,” Leuthold said. “It’s nice that this is unusual, but it’s not great. I feel bad for the farmers, there’s a lot of damage that’s going to happen from this.”

Lyon County officials weren’t just worried about the flood waters either. A BSNF Railway freight train derailed just south of Alvord, Iowa early Friday morning.

Lyon County Emergency Management told Dakota News Now that nine cars derailed. No hazmat crews were needed, and it’s unknown how long the railroad will be blocked.

Back in Rock Rapids, fearing that the flooding would get worse, a sandbagging station was set up. Many volunteers there had been at it since early Friday morning, waiting for truck after truck full of sand to stop by so they could get back to work.

Flooding is expected to continue in Lyon County and the surrounding area as more rain is expected to come from storms on Friday and Saturday. The Rock River is already in a major flood stage, and could only begin to crest sometime this weekend.

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South Dakota

Road closures in Minnehaha and Lincoln Counties: What we know so far

Published

17 hours ago

June 21, 2024

Press Room

Road closures in Minnehaha and Lincoln Counties: What we know so far

As sections of Sioux Falls and Minnehaha and Lincoln county are put under ongoing flash flood warnings, flood warnings and flood watches, roads in Sioux Falls and the surrounding area are closing.

A flood watch is in effect through 7 a.m. Saturday for all of southeastern South Dakota, and a flood warning is currently in effect for the following areas until 7:30 a.m. Saturday, according to the National Weather Service in Sioux Falls:

Portions of northwest Iowa, including the following counties, Clay, Dickinson, Lyon, O`Brien, Osceola and Sioux
Southwest Minnesota, including the following county, Nobles
And southeast South Dakota, including the following counties, Lincoln, Turner and Union

“Additional rainfall amounts of 1 to 4 inches are possible in the warned area over the next 24 hours,” the flood warning states. Heavier rain, with a risk of severe storms is expected after 5 p.m. Friday.

Locations that will experience flooding include: Sioux Falls, Sioux Center, Sheldon, Canton, Sibley, Rock Rapids, Beresford, Parker, Harrisburg, Tea, Rock Valley, Hull, Lennox, Sanborn, George, Centerville, Worthing, Larchwood, Inwood and Viborg.

Here’s what we know so far about area road closures.

Road Closures in Lincoln County:

The Lincoln County Highway Department says no travel is advised in Lincoln County due to flooding on roads.

Canton

The Canton Police Department says to avoid these roads. It’s working on compiling a full list of road closures.

North Cedar
4th Street
North Lincoln Street
3 to 4 miles north on North Dakota Street
North Bridge Street
Noid Road

Highway 18 has been opened back up, but the department says to proceed with caution.

Tea:

The Tea City Facebook says to avoid Gateway Boulevard when leaving or coming to Tea, as the road is down to one lane.

West of Canton and south of Worthing:

These roads are closed due to flooding until further notice, says South Dakota 511, the South Dakota Department of Transportation road conditions webpage:

South I-29 to SD-11 North
U.S 18 West Exit 59 to U.S 18 East Exit 62
0.25 miles north of SD-44 Exit 64 to US 18 West Exit 59

Road Closures in Minnehaha County:

The Minnehaha County Highway Department says multiple roads have begun to flood, and conditions are expected to become worse as the rain continues.

County Highway 121 (478th Avenue or Eros Road) is closed south of 252nd Street, according to the Minnehaha County Highway Department. NWS has reported standing water on I-29 south of Sioux Falls.

The Minnehaha County Sheriff’s Office posted photos from the intersection of 478th Avenue and 252nd Street and Hartford Turtle Creek Park, where the roads have completely flooded.

Sioux Falls:

These roads are closed according to a post on X from the City of Sioux Falls:

12th Street is closed from Sertoma Avenue to LaMesa Avenue
Madison Street is closed at LaMesa Avenue
Charger Circle south of 69th Street
41st Street at Cliff Avenue near Interstate 229

Lennox:

Road closed barricades are being placed at Boynton Avenue and Cherry, West 1st and Cleveland, and West 4th and Cleveland. Please proceed with caution, says the City of Lennox Facebook.

What to do if you encounter closed roads:

“If there’s any barricades up because the road is closed, don’t go across those,” said Tim Masters, a hydro-meteorological technician with the National Weather Service in Sioux Falls. “The water might be deeper than you think.”

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