49 thoughts on “South Dakota GOP Absentee voting outnumbers Dems 2-1”

  1. Now, consider the ratio of Repubs to Dems in the state. Since that is the proper way of comparing and not totals, a larger share of Dems are voting absentee. Total number doesn’t mean anything without considering the actual ratios. #FakeNews

    1. The total number of D or R voters doesn’t matter now. What is happening is the Rs are getting out early.

    2. Do your math again. Must be a Democrat thing to be bad at math, logic and truth.

      There is a higher percentage of Republicans voting early.

      Republicans: 3,867/253,009=1.5%
      Democrats: 1,873/156,727=1.2%
      Ind./other: 1,358/126,173=1.1%

      That said, this is a general election. 3,867 beats 1,873+1,358 no matter the percentages.

      While I don’t expect these ratios to extrapolate through the entire election (if they were it would indicate an unprecedented landslide), it is not a good harbinger for the side that needs to see the alternatives.

      1. It’s a republican thing to spin and gin. The source for this graph and post is the SD Republican Facebook page. 🤣

        1. If Troy’s figures on total registered Republicans and Democrats is accurate than how is it spin? Is it simply spin to point out that a higher number of Republicans than Democrats have so far voted via absentee ballot?

          I don’t think there is any question that nationally as a party the Democrats are the real spin-meisters. Look at Obama trying to claim credit for the economy; what a pathetic display by a pathetic man.

    3. Recently the party was writing checks to legislative candidates and statewide. Is that still going on?

  2. CON 11 / 506 = 2.17%
    GOP 3,867 / 253,513 = 1.53%
    DEM 1,873 / 156,907 = 1.19%
    IND 1,358 / 124,210 = 1.09%
    LIB 16 / 1,777 = 0.90%

    But I just gotta ask, what exactly does this stat prove? That the Constitution and Republican Parties have the highest percentage of folks who can’t/don’t want to make it out to the polls on Nov 6? And if that’s the celebratory occasion at hand, one must ask if celebrations in short enough supply to warrant one about this?

    1. Gideon,

      Early voting are indicators of Enthusiasm and Organization which usually are harbingers of final election results.

      If you can show me an election where they didn’t indicate the final results, I bet it was because that election had a late breaking significant game-changer.

    2. Libertarians will have a harder time getting off the couch and climbing up the stairs out of mom’s basement.

  3. Democrats traditionally vote early and Republicans vote on Election Day so if Republicans are turning out in good numbers early that’s a good sign

  4. I have talked to several Repubs who voted early and they indicated they are voting for several Dems. What does that mean?

    1. When asked by nosy, impolite dems, my moderate neighbors said they were voting for Hillary and then they actually voted for Donald J. Trump. What does that mean? Not much, but it helps explain how all mainstream media polls were dead wrong in 2016. Remember when, on election night, the august new york times proclaimed 96% chance of Hillary Clinton winning? No? Want a commemorative screen shot?

  5. 5:47: The GOP put it on their facebook page because it was good harbinger for them. But, I like the idea that you think it just spin.

    I also like the idea Garry is depending on GOP early voters being a source of Democrat votes.

    I like it when we all can be happy with the same information. It is unifying.

  6. Republican here. Myself and 4 of my Republican neighbors are all voting Sutton, otherwise pretty straight ticket R.

      1. Republican delegate here from a Republican family, likely voting straight ticket except for maybe governors race. 1) Noem played dirty with Jackley and showed poor character 2) We are a low tax state I don’t want and don’t think we need someone who is dead set against any tax increase especially when they conflate taxes with user fees 3) I don’t think local government should be streamed on Facebook live (noems sunshine initiative) if you can bother showing up for the most local accessible level of government shame on you 4) Noem made comments about cleaning house in Pierre, Pierre is not DC, it is not a swamp, full disclosure my family would be affected by such a move… I am not a Billie fan, I find him easier to put up with than most Ds though. I think a republican super majority with Billie as gov would be better for SoDak than Noem..

        1. So since your bringing up dirty tricks.. did you know Suttons family made sure to basically blackmail their own hometown businesses? They went around to every single one and made sure to tell them that “since we do business with you, you need to show support for sutton and contribute to his campaign”. That burned quite a few people on that one.

          So my question is.. as a Republican, what values do you want to see in a candidate? Does a pro-life stance matter? What about laws protecting our kids? I also believe that sutton himself has made comments about how he is going to clean things up in Pierre.. with his support of Clinton, I suppose he will make sure more people like her and her followers are in there. Think that will do us good?

          1. Planning Student,

            I’m disappointed you didn’t vote straight ticket R. Nevertheless, I thank you for supporting Jason, Dusty, Josh, Rich & Steve and for sending a great team of experienced, conservative legislators to our state congress. I really hope you backed Kristie Fiegen for PUC. She’s outstanding!
            Although we’re both proud republicans, and delegates, you and I don’t agree on everything. It happens. Lots of terrific people supported Marty; he’s been a superb AG. A few friends would have preferred Secretary Krebs for congress. Some diehards (and one sour puss) famously vowed to forever withhold their votes from Jason. In 2016, many good folks wanted Ted Cruz instead of Donald Trump. Heck, I recall my parents debating Ford v. Reagan in ’76. It’s a big tent. We’ll never agree on all points. Provided we debate in good faith, adhering to a set of common, conservative principles, we’ll be ok. Personally, I support Noem 100%. I’m confident that, as governor, she’ll earn your trust. I hope (in 4 years) you’ll be impressed by her leadership and motivated to support her re-election but, if not, vote your conscience. Thank God (and our valiant servicemen) we still have the freedom to choose!

            1. I know a lot of attorneys who won’t vote Ravnsborg but he will still win with over 55% of the vote. The attorneys are his biggest detractors.

              But, I also know several who have done a 180 and now are all in for Ravnsborg.

          2. Desden,

            If you look into Sutton’s policies you will see that he is pro-life. What are these laws protecting our kids that you talk about? I’m not sure where you are going with that one.

        2. Let’s move beyond the Governor candidates and on to the Lt. Gov. picks. Do you really think that Sutton’s pick (she has never been in politics) has the qualifications and ability to lead the Senate? Parliamentary Procedure and all of the codified laws is not something people can just “pick up” in a week’s time. Sounds like a disaster.

        3. Let’s also not forget her lies about the estate tax where she inherited over a million dollars and had to pay 84k. All the while that could have been avoided had her mother retained ownership of the assets. Not to mention, she has cashed roughly 3.7 million dollars in taxpayer subsidies since then. There is nothing conservative about Kristi when it comes to doing what benefits Kristi. Otherwise, she is a rubber stamp follower and contains nothing that a leader should. She has no integrity. She fights for the 1% and not all south dakotans. She will do more harm than good for SD.

          1. One reason I believe in Kristi is because far left democrats hate her so. One reason I’m suspicious of Billie is because, when I pass through liberal sections of Sioux Falls, I see so much Sutton sunshine.

            Try an experiment. Drive by the house of the most annoying, left-wing Hillary Clinton fanatic in your area. I’m talking about some pink-haired “progressive,” desperate to confiscate guns, raise taxes, shutter the oil companies, legalize drugs, hand out free abortions, abolish ice, impeach the president, etc. My guess: the yards is a veritable forest of Sutton signs.

            I’m no mind reader. I don’t know what secrets lie in Billie’s heart. He seems a good man. But (in my neighborhood) the rabid leftists love him. If he’s really a pro-life, pro-gun moderate, and he’s managed to completely hoodwink all those partisan progressives, he’s a much better con artist than I thought.

  7. Seems republicans that are voting straight R’s then throwing Sutton into the mix have unfortunatly fallen for the exact thing he was hoping they would. Reel them in with what they want to hear and the nice guy personna.. make it sound like he is the answer to change in Pierre, yet behind the scenes he is a Hillary supporter, hence why he is still running as a democrat. Dont be fooled. Anyone who has a D behind their name obviously supports what that party supports. Otherwise why would they be registered with them? Thats how we align ourselves. Suttons wife is a a pro-choice, liberal leaning, women power gal. And I would bet ole Billy is right onboard with that. Anyone think otherwise?

    1. You are right on. He’s a dem for a reason. He’s playing some for fools…Krist has every right to call him out on it.

  8. Kinda reminds me of the last race that Tim Johnson won based on ,”he is a nice guy” combined with the sympathy vote. In reality Johnson was then the reason we are stuck with Obamacare.

    1. I couldn’t agree more, Springer. Johnson was a left-wing kook, and Sutton in supporting Hillary shows what type of person he is. Kristy all the way!!

      1. And the Republicans supported Trump. 2016 proved to be some of the worst canidates on both sides. Its hard to pile on Billie for supporting Hillary when many Republicans were supporting the equally awful canidate Trump.

  9. Last weekend, at the SD Federation of Republican Women convention, Larry Rhoden & Jason Ravnsborg visited. They raised an excellent point: when we elect a Governor, we elect more than just a Governor. We elect everyone the Governor will appoint. That includes legislators and, when openings inevitably occur, judges. Jason forecast that our next Gov will appoint a MINIMUM of TWO Supreme Court Justices!

    Regardless of whether you approve of Kristi’s campaign, we need a conservative in the Governor’s office ensuring that quality people are appointed to open positions — especially Supreme Court Judgeships!

  10. Sutton is benefitting from total GOP control of the legislature. No one thinks a dem governor will have any power. If anything many good conservative legislators have told me it might make the legislative branch more powerful again.

    1. If any legislators said that, I doubt they’re either “good,” or “conservative.”

      If they think a Democrat governor won’t have any power, then they really don’t understand the duties and powers of the office.

      Appointments? Staffing? Veto power? Not to mention, the “Bully Pulpit” that comes with the job.

      1. You mean the “Billie pulpit”?

        He will lose but if he pulled off a miracle he would be a one termer.

  11. “One reason I’m suspicious of Billie is because, when I pass through liberal sections of Sioux Falls, I see so much Sutton sunshine”

    Why does this make you suspicious? Shouldn’t liberals be supporting Billie? I would certainly prefer someone more liberal than him but we’ll take what we can get.

    I do see lots of Sutton yard signs around SF but very few Noem signs.

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