AP Decision Notes: What to expect in South Dakota on Election Day

WASHINGTON — South Dakotans will vote in several high-profile contests in the Nov. 5 general election, including the race for president and a proposed state constitutional amendment that would strike down a law banning abortion. Other contests on the ballot include races for the U.S. House, state Legislature and additional statewide ballot questions.

Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris and Republican former President Donald Trump are competing for the state's three electoral votes. Two independent or third-party candidates are also on the ballot, including Robert F. Kennedy, who dropped out of the race in August and endorsed Trump.

South Dakota is one of 10 states that will put ballot measures related to abortion access before the voters. It's one of 14 states that banned abortion at every stage of pregnancy after the Supreme Court struck down Roe v. Wade.

The ballot measure would bar any restrictions on abortion in the first trimester, allow limited regulation in the second, and would permit abortions to be banned in the third trimester, except when “necessary to preserve the life or health of the pregnant woman.” A lawsuit by an anti-abortion group to invalidate the ballot measure won't be decided until after the election.

South Dakota is reliably Republican in presidential elections. The only Democratic presidential candidate to carry the state in the last 84 years was President Lyndon Johnson in 1964. Trump won 62% of the vote in 2020 versus just 36% for President Joe Biden.

In the state’s sole U.S. House race, Republican incumbent Dusty Johnson faces a challenge from Democrat Sheryl Johnson in his bid for a fourth term. In 2022, he faced only a Libertarian challenger in his statewide U.S. House district and won 77% of the vote.

Republican Gov. Kristi Noem, a close Trump ally, and the state's two GOP U.S. Senators are not up for election in 2024.

The AP does not make projections and will declare a winner only when it has determined there is no scenario that would allow the trailing candidates to close the gap. If a race has not been called, the AP will continue to cover any newsworthy developments, such as candidate concessions or declarations of victory. In doing so, the AP will make clear that it has not yet declared a winner and explain why.

Here’s a look at what to expect in the 2024 election in South Dakota:

Election Day

Nov. 5.

Poll closing time

8 p.m. and 9 p.m. ET. South Dakota covers two time zones but will not release any results until final polls in the state close at 7 p.m. MT (9 p.m. ET).

Presidential electoral votes

3 awarded to statewide winner.

Key races and candidates

President: Harris (D) vs. Trump (R) vs. Chase Oliver (Libertarian) vs. Robert Kennedy (Independent).

Ballot measures: Amendment G (right to abortion), Amendment H (top-two primary elections), Measure 29 (legalize marijuana).

Other races of interest

U.S. House, other ballot measures, state Senate, state House and public utilities commission.

Past presidential results

2020: Trump (R) 62%, Biden (D) 36%, AP race call: Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2020, 9 p.m. ET.

Voter registration and turnout

Registered voters: 680,775 (as of Oct. 1, 2024). About 21% Democrats, 46% Republicans, 13% independent and 10% no party.

Voter turnout in 2020 presidential election: 67% of registered voters.

Pre-Election Day voting

Votes cast before Election Day 2020: about 52% of the total vote.

Votes cast before Election Day 2022: about 29% of the total vote.

Votes cast before Election Day 2024: See AP Advance Vote tracker.

How long does vote-counting take?

First votes reported, Nov. 3, 2020: 9 p.m. ET.

By midnight ET: about 66% of total votes cast were reported.

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AP writers Hannah Fingerhut and Maya Sweedler contributed to this report.