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On today's update...
Tuesday is election day and it's important to make sure every voice is heard at the ballot box. That includes Native voices, who are often disenfranchised from the polls. One group is looking to get out the Native vote today.
Federal laws protect voting rights for people with disabilities, but many still experience barriers, which can lead to lower voter turnout. This especially applies to rural areas, where some polling sites are in private residences and other locations.
The Justice Department will monitor the compliance of federal voting rights in four South Dakota counties Tuesday. U.S. Attorney Alison Ramsdell, in a release, said the monitoring effort is to ensure all eligible voters have access to vote.
The Secretary of State's office is reporting more than 141,500 South Dakotans have cast their ballot in the 2024 election. That number is much less than early voting totals from 2020, which was more than 219,000.
South Dakota was one of the first states to vote on abortion both in 2006 and 2008. Now, voters are deciding whether to allow some form of abortion access for the third time in 20 years. Kate Looby was the director of Planned Parenthood in South Dakota during the first two votes in 2006 and 2008 and discusses those first two votes and what it was like working for the organization during that time.
The students and faculty of Western Dakota Tech continue to mourn the loss of president Ann Bolman, who died unexpectedly in late September. In the meantime business and learning must continue.
And more.