As South Dakota approaches the 2024 General Election, voters are encouraged to stay informed about important dates, deadlines, and procedures. Secretary of State Monae L. Johnson and her office provide the following key details for those preparing to cast their ballots on November 5, 2024.
Key Election Dates:
Absentee Voting Began: September 20, 2024
Voter Registration Deadline: October 21, 2024
Last Day of Absentee Voting: November 4, 2024
Election Day: November 5, 2024, from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.
Absentee Ballot Return Deadline:
Absentee ballots must be received by the County Election Official before polls close on Election Day.
Voting and Ballot Security:
South Dakota remains committed to election transparency and security. Secretary Johnson highlights that the state exclusively uses paper ballots, which are carefully handled by poll workers from different parties. These ballots are counted on machines that are not connected to the internet, ensuring the integrity of the process. In addition, post-election audits involving hand-counting ballots from 5% of precincts provide further verification of results.
Voter Eligibility and
Absentee Voting:
All U.S. citizens who meet the state’s eligibility requirements may register to vote by October 21. For those unable to vote in person, absentee voting began on September 20. To vote absentee, voters must apply through their county auditor’s office. Ballots can be returned by mail or in person, but it’s recommended to send ballots early to avoid potential mail delays.
Polling Locations and
Election Day Protocol:
Voters can find their polling locations and sample ballots by visiting the South Dakota Voter Information Portal. Sample Ballots will also be published in this newspaper. On Election Day, voters should bring a valid photo ID, such as a driver’s license or U.S. government-issued ID. If mistakes are made on the ballot, voters can request a new one at the polling place.
In this 2024 election, voters will decide the next U.S. president and South Dakota voters will be deciding on seven ballot measures, legislative races and state and federal offices.
From now until the election on Nov. 5, The Lennox Independent will take a look at the different measures on the ballot.
This week we begin with Initiated Measure 28. Initiated Measure 28 would remove grocery/consumables tax.
The following stories are written by Stu Whitney with the South Dakota News Watch:
Initiated Measure 28 would remove grocery/consumables tax
By Stu Whitney
Dakotans for Health sponsored Initiated Measure 28 to prohibit the state from collecting sales tax on “anything sold for human consumption, except alcoholic beverages and prepared food.”
Supporters insist the intent of IM 28 is to eliminate the state’s 4.2% sales tax on groceries. The measure’s language states that it will not affect the up to 2% sales tax on groceries charged by municipalities in South Dakota.
Opponents criticize the wording of the measure as broader than just groceries. They say it could cause a budget crunch by preventing the state from collecting sales tax on “consumable” items such as tobacco, toothpaste and toilet paper.
“This is not a food tax repeal – it’s a consumables tax repeal,” said Nathan Sanderson, executive director of the South Dakota Retailers Association and part of a coalition that opposes IM 28. The group asserts that the measure could lead to a state income tax in South Dakota to make up for lost revenue.
Sanderson also disputed whether municipalities could still collect a food tax if IM 28 passes, pointing to a state law that says cities and towns can charge a sales tax if it “conforms in all respects to the state tax,” which would not be the case if the state food tax is repealed.
Repealing the grocery tax was staunchly opposed in 2024 by the Republican-dominated Legislature, which approved a cut in the state’s general sales tax rate from 4.5% to 4.2% during the 2023 session that’s due to expire in 2027.
The fiscal note for IM 28 indicates it could reduce annual state sales tax receipts by $124 million. Opponents said that could stress the state’s budget when combined with the rate change on general sales tax.
Weiland notes that Gov. Kristi Noem pledged a grocery tax cut as part of her 2022 re-election campaign, a plan ultimately rejected by lawmakers. The governor took the rare step of testifying for her grocery tax repeal bill during the 2023 session, insisting that the budget was strong enough to absorb lost revenue and that voters wanted the tax repealed.
Jim Terwilliger, Noem’s top budget official as commissioner of the Bureau of Finance and Management, told News Watch that Noem doesn’t support the ballot initiative because of concerns about the wording.
He added that the governor “still believes a repeal of the grocery tax is the best tax relief for South Dakota families if it is done in a responsible manner.”
Initiated Measure 29 is latest attempt to legalize recreational marijuana
By Stu Whitney
Initiated Measure 29 would allow people 21 and older to “possess, grow, ingest, and distribute marijuana or marijuana paraphernalia.” Possession would be allowed up to 2 ounces in a form other than marijuana concentrate or other marijuana products.
This will be the third consecutive election cycle that South Dakota voters are asked whether recreational marijuana should be legal in the state.
In 2020, pro-legalization Amendment A passed with 54% of the vote, clearing the way for recreational marijuana to be implemented in the state. Medicinal pot was also approved by voters that year in an initiated measure.
Gov. Kristi Noem’s administration challenged the recreational marijuana amendment, saying it violated the state’s requirement that constitutional amendments deal with just one subject. That argument prevailed in a 4-1 decision at the South Dakota Supreme Court.
Supporters tried to pass recreational cannabis again in 2022 and South Dakotans rejected that effort, with 53% of voters against it.
Recreational marijuana is legal in 23 states and the District of Columbia, with supporters pointing to economic advantages to the state economy from tax revenue. States collected nearly $3 billion in marijuana revenues in 2022, according to the Tax Foundation.
Opponents cite potential social costs and health risks such as a higher risk of cardiovascular problems from marijuana use, as outlined in a recent study in the Journal of the American Heart Association.
Protecting South Dakota Kids, a campaign committee formed to fight recreational pot legalization in 2022, is opposing the effort again in 2024, said Rhonda Milstead, a former Republican state legislator who serves as the group’s executive director.
“When it comes to our children, South Dakotans are fiercely protective,” Milstead said. “We say no to any group selling addiction for profit.”
Most experts characterize marijuana as a drug that can be used responsibly but also poses risks if abused, like alcohol and other intoxicants.
These stories were 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 reporter Stu Whitney at stu.whitney@sdnewswatch.org.
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