Are you ready to vote?

One week from today, South Dakotans will head to the polls to cast their vote in the 2026 Republican Primary Election. This is a closed primary, meaning only registered Republican voters may cast a ballot to help determine the party’s nominees.

I have downloaded a sample ballot for voters located in District 27 to review.

You can also visit the following website and enter your information to access your personalized sample ballot:

https://vip.sdsos.gov/VIPLogin.aspx

Depending on your precinct, you may have additional races or issues on your ballot. For example, here in Martin, voters will also be selecting school board members and voting in a Ward 1 city council race.

As you can see, my name does not appear on the primary ballot because I am one of ten Republican candidates who do not have a primary challenger. I will appear on the November 3rd General Election ballot.

I bet your mailbox has been flooded with campaign postcards, just like mine. I encourage you to research the candidates before heading to the polls to make voting easier and to become more informed about who is running for office.

There has been a lot of misinformation circulating, and I encourage everyone to vote for the candidate who best aligns with their principles and values. Talk with your neighbors and friends to get a different perspective and hear what they are thinking. They may bring information to your attention that you had not previously considered.

Nonetheless, voting is a civic responsibility. If you are a Republican and choose to sit this one out, then you really cannot complain about the outcome.