Election 2022

The South Dakota Capitol Rotunda. (Joshua Haiar/South Dakota Searchlight)

Republican lawmaker files bill to ban ranked choice voting

BY: - January 11, 2023

A lawmaker who hopes to be the next chairman of the South Dakota Republican Party, state Sen. John Wiik, R-Big Stone City, wants to ban ranked choice voting. Ranked choice voting refers to any voting system in which voters rank their choice of candidate by ordered preference. Those rankings are used to determine a winner […]

COMMENTARY
Jason Ravnsborg, left, is interrogated after the car he was driving struck and killed a pedestrian in rural South Dakota. Ravnsborg, who was the state's attorney general at the time, was ultimately impeached and removed from office. (Image from House Select Committee on Investigation files)

Don’t let party loyalty trump voting for competent candidates

BY: - January 2, 2023

There will be some new faces in Pierre this month as legislative and executive oaths are administered. One face, however, will be familiar. Marty Jackley will return to serve as attorney general. Jackley’s previous time in the office was highlighted by competence and integrity, two qualities missing during the tenure of his successor, Jason Ravnsborg. […]

COMMENTARY
Legislators and guests wait for Gov. Kristi Noem to deliver her budget address on Dec. 6, 2022, in the House chamber at the Capitol in Pierre. (Joshua Haiar/SD Searchlight)

Democrats deserve blame for one-party rule

BY: - December 26, 2022

The South Dakota legislative session is about two weeks away and it should be an interesting one as it offers impressive dueling tax cut plans. Gov. Kristi Noem wants to cut the state sales tax on food, while a group of Republican legislators have an idea for cutting property taxes. There is some concern about […]

COMMENTARY
A voter fills out a ballot on Nov. 8, 2022, at a polling place in Sioux Falls. (Joshua Haiar/SD Searchlight)

In South Dakota and elsewhere, voters spoke clearly on health care

BY: - December 21, 2022

In November, millions of voters in red, blue and purple states voted on the future of our health care directly on the ballot. And U.S. Sen. Warnock ran his re-election campaign and run-off on health care. Health care won decisively. Voters decided to expand Medicaid in South Dakota, meaning more than 40,000 low-income South Dakotans […]

A vote-here sign, pictured on Nov. 8, 2022, at the All Souls Church on Cliff Avenue in Sioux Falls. (Joshua Haiar/South Dakota Searchlight)

Why Medicaid expansion ballots may hit a dead end after a fleeting victory in South Dakota

BY: and - December 19, 2022

Republican-led legislatures have repeatedly thwarted Medicaid expansion in a dozen conservative states, despite high numbers of uninsured residents. In recent years, supporters of expansion have found success with another strategy: letting voters decide. Since 2017, Medicaid expansion has passed in seven states where the issue was put on the ballot, adopting the Affordable Care Act […]

Secretary of State-Elect Monae Johnson celebrates her Nov. 8, 2022, election victory. Behind Johnson (from left) stands her campaign manager, Gretchen Weible, and Weible's husband Rick Weible. (John Hult/South Dakota Searchlight)

Barnett resigns early, and Noem appoints Johnson as secretary of state

BY: - December 2, 2022

Gov. Kristi Noem is appointing Monae Johnson as secretary of state, effective Monday. Current Secretary of State Steve Barnett is resigning from the role ahead of the official end of his term on Jan. 2. He will take over as general manager of the South Dakota Rural Electric Association.  Johnson beat Barnett for the Republican […]

The South Dakota State Capitol, as seen on Nov. 2, 2022.

A record-setting number of women will serve in state legislatures in 2023, including South Dakota

BY: - December 1, 2022

WASHINGTON — A record number of women will soon serve in state legislatures, breaking the previous cap of female lawmakers by at least 69 seats and bringing total representation to more than 32%, according to the Center for American Women and Politics.  That includes South Dakota, where the new Legislature will convene with 31 women […]

Tripp County will be the first South Dakota county in two decades to hand count ballots in an election, according to the Secretary of State's Office. (John Hult/South Dakota Searchlight)

Tabulator catches human error in Tripp County post-election audit

BY: - November 15, 2022

The case of Tripp County’s 75 “missing” ballots has been solved, County Auditor Barb Desersa said this week. The discrepancy emerged last week after a hand count of ballots in the only county in South Dakota in nearly 20 years to perform one. The mismatch does not have any impact on election results. Tripp County […]

(Getty Images)

‘Absolutely insane’: Cascade County Election Official says cops called after skeptics escalate

BY: - November 14, 2022

GREAT FALLS, MONTANA — Law enforcement was called Friday after a group of election integrity skeptics in Cascade County escalated tactics, circling the county office and waiting for election officials and staff to come outside, according to County Clerk and Recorder Rina Moore. The last year already had been an “absolute nightmare” for her and […]

With the victory of U.S. Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto of Nevada, Democrats are projected to keep the majority in the U.S. Senate.

Democrats projected to retain U.S. Senate control after winning Nevada seat

BY: - November 13, 2022

Democratic U.S. Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto of Nevada will win reelection, according to Associated Press projections late Saturday, ensuring Democrats will remain in the majority next year no matter what happens in a runoff election in Georgia next month. After days of vote counting, U.S. Sens. Mark Kelly of Arizona and Cortez Masto were both […]

Tripp County will be the first South Dakota county in two decades to hand count ballots in an election, according to the Secretary of State's Office. (John Hult/South Dakota Searchlight)

Tripp County will need court order to investigate mismatch between hand count and audit

BY: - November 10, 2022

Barb Desersa was awake 40 hours straight between Election Day and Wednesday.  Nearly a quarter of that time was spent supervising volunteers hand-counting ballots for Tripp County. “We left at 5:30 a.m.,” said Desersa, who serves as auditor for Tripp and Todd counties. “We went home, showered and then went back to work.” Several races […]

Gov. Kristi Noem of South Dakota meets with supporters in Rapid City on Nov. 7, 2022.

Record-setting number of women elected as governors in midterms

BY: - November 10, 2022

WASHINGTON —  The United States’ ceiling for female governors was shattered this week, with voters in 12 states electing women to the role, breaking the prior record of nine set for the first time back in 2004. While not all of the gubernatorial campaigns have been called as of Thursday afternoon, Arizona and Oregon voters had two […]