Like many students the night before a major exam, some voters are probably cramming in an effort to understand the issues and candidates before they hit the polls Tuesday.
If you are already prepped; good for you. Get a good night’s sleep and we will see you at the polling stations. Polls are open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. If you don’t know where your polling station is, contact your county auditor or go to the South Dakota Secretary of State website and click on the icon at the bottom of the home page, “Where do I vote?”
If you still need a little help, here’s the best tip … help yourself. Here’s a link to all the ballot issues.
First of all, forget the surveys and the spin put on them. Make your ballot decisions based upon solid facts on the issues and whether you personally believe a candidate is the best choice for the job.
I’ll back up my caution on surveys. There is a Nielson Brothers poll being flouted that states 56 percent of South Dakotans are not in favor of Initiated Measure 15, the one-cent sales tax hike for education and healthcare. That is a September 2011 poll. Nielson Brothers did another poll this September and the number opposed to the increase in sales tax dropped to 32 percent, with 25 percent undecided. And another poll puts those in favor of the penny addition at 60 percent. So take a look at the measure and make up your own mind. Polls are like economists (paraphrasing a former president here), they point in all directions.
As for candidates, voters continue to be peppered by special interest post cards that either anoint or damn a politician. Considering the closeness we have with our elected citizens, you can probably just call the candidate and ask “What’s up?” You don’t need shadowy groups (or individuals as is the case in some campaigns) to steer you. You can navigate through the political “He said, she said” without anyone’s help.
So when you put pen to paper on election day … do it for yourself!
