It’s all over but the voting

• Mitchell polling places

Mitchell polling places

Talk about it

Davison County voters casting their ballots today will help choose a president, South Dakota’s lone U.S. representative, a District 20 state senator, two District 20 state representatives and two seats on the state’s Public Utilities Commission.

Voters will also consider seven ballot issues and a Supreme Court retention question.

The polls will open at 7 a.m. and close at 7 p.m. Auditor Susan Kiepke said no returns will be released until 8 p.m.

Voters will be required to present a photo ID before being allowed to vote. According to South Dakota Secretary of State Jason Gant, acceptable forms of voter identification are a South Dakota driver’s license or non-driver ID card; a U.S. government photo ID; a current student photo ID from a South Dakota high school, college, university or technical school; or a tribal photo ID.

Anyone who wishes to vote but does not have a photo ID can sign a personal identification affidavit.

Following is a list of items that will appear on ballots in Davison County.

Races

* For president: Democratic President Barack Obama, Republican Party candidate Mitt Romney, Libertarian Party candidate Gary Johnson or Constitution Party candidate Virgil Goode (voters will actually cast ballots for Electoral College “electors” pledged to the candidates).

* For South Dakota’s U.S. Representative: Republican Rep. Kristi Noem and Democratic challenger Matt Varilek.

* For a four-year term on the state’s Public Utilities Commission: Democratic challenger Nick Nemec and Republican incumbent Chris Nelson.

* For a six-year term on the state’s Public Utilities Commission: Democratic challenger Matt McGovern, Republican incumbent Kristie Fiegen and Libertarian challenger Russell Clarke.

* For District 20 state senator: Republican Sen. Mike Vehle and Democrat Quinten L. Berg.

* For District 20 state representative: Democrat Dave Mitchell, Democrat James V. Schorzmann, Republican Rep. Lance Carson and Republican Rep. Tona Rozum. Voters will choose two candidates.

* Supreme Court retention: Voters will decide whether to keep Justice Glen A. Severson on the South Dakota Supreme Court.

Ballot issues

* Constitutional Amendment M: This amendment would remove certain restrictions on the Legislature’s authority to enact laws regarding corporations. It would also allow the Legislature to allow alternative methods of voting in elections for corporate directors, expand the types of contributions a corporation may receive for the issuance of stocks and bonds and establish procedures governing the increase of corporate stock or debt.

* Constitutional Amendment N: This amendment would repeal the limitation on mileage reimbursement for legislators at 5 cents per mile for their travel to and from the legislative session and allow mileage reimbursement to be set by the Legislature.

* Constitutional Amendment O: This amendment would change the current method for the distribution of funds from the state’s cement plant trust fund to the general fund, currently set at $12 million per year, to a transfer of 4 percent of the market value of the cement plant trust fund in support of education.

* Constitutional Amendment P: This amendment would require the governor to propose a balanced state budget and prohibit legislative appropriations from exceeding anticipated revenues.

* Initiated Measure 15: This measure would increase the state’s general sales and use tax rate from 4 to 5 percent to support K-12 public education and Medicaid.

* Referred Law 14: This law would establish a Large Project Development Fund, which would be used by the South Dakota Board of Economic Development to provide grants for certain construction projects in the state that cost more than $5 million.

* Referred Law 16: This law would establish an education reform act that would create a teacher scholarship program, create a program for math and science teacher bonuses, create a program for teacher merit bonuses, mandate a uniform teacher and principal evaluation system, and eliminate state requirements for tenure.

Tags: election 2012, news, updates