The big 2024 general election season is finally almost completed, and polls are open until 7 p.m. in South Dakota, and until 8 p.m. in Nebraska and Iowa.
There were some long waits to vote in Siouxland, such as some people waiting about 45 minutes to vote in Dickinson County at an expo center at Spirit Lake in the morning.
Statewide reporters have cited voting machine glitches in Story and Scott countries in Iowa.
Woodbury County Auditor Pat Gill said midafternoon Tuesday that voting was tracking near the norm for a presidential election. Gill is estimating about 44,000 votes will be cast, with 20,000 from early votes over the last three weeks, plus about 24,000 in-person votes today.
Iowa voters who still have an absentee ballot at home can complete it and bring it to their county auditor or elections office by 8 p.m. Or, they can surrender the ballot at their polling place and vote in person.
A lot of people are watching to see if Democrat Kamala Harris or Republican Donald Trump will win the presidency. Also on the ballots are a slate of traditional contests for legislative, congressional and county-level positions to be determined by voters.
Additionally, there are several public school bond issue votes on ballots in Northwest Iowa. There are also many special ballot measures in Nebraska and South Dakota, as both states have abortion measures.
Nebraska is one of 10 states where abortion is on the ballot this election. But it’s the only state where voters will choose between two proposals competing for a place in the state constitution.
Initiative 434 asks voters to ban abortions in the second and third trimesters, with exceptions for sexual assault, incest and medical emergencies. It puts Nebraska’s current 12-week ban into the constitution while allowing for further restrictions.
Initiative 439 asks voters to constitutionally guarantee abortion access until fetal viability, with exceptions for life and health. That would expand Nebraska’s abortion limit from 12 to around 24 weeks.
Nebraska Secretary of State Bob Evnen is predicting 72 percent for voter turnout, which would fall short of the record of 74 percent in November 2020.
There is a new voter ID requirement in Nebraska, and also in Iowa.
*After the polls close, then ballots will be counted and results will be shared by county and state officials.
South Dakota News Watch is reporting that America’s political climate and the rise of electoral activism have elevated stress levels for South Dakota election workers.
Recent trends in state election law have broadened access for poll watchers and observers without increasing protections for election officials, raising concerns about potential harassment, intimidation or interference.
Although national rhetoric about election integrity has impacted South Dakota politically, it has not eroded confidence in the accuracy of local elections.
A poll co-sponsored by News Watch showed that 71 percent of respondents were “very confident” that votes will be counted accurately in the 2024 election in South Dakota.
