Happy Friday! Megan here.

Weather check: The heat is coming

This weekend, I just keep thinking about those two votes. I've been preaching the importance of local elections for over a decade now – but my goodness, two votes?? If people still skip voting because it "doesn't matter" after this?? I might just have to throw in the towel and get a job in marketing. Anyway, here's what we know so far about the recount process and voter turnout.

And now, news:

2026 CITY ELECTION

Most Sioux Fallsians didn't vote – here's what we know about those who did

Simplified: Only about 1 in 4 registered voters in Sioux Falls cast a ballot in Tuesday's mayoral election, and not one single precinct in the city saw higher turnout in the run-off than it did in the primary election on June 2. Here's a closer look at where folks turned out the most.

Why it matters

  • The 24% voter turnout shows that the majority of Sioux Falls' registered voters opted not to weigh in on who leads the city for the next four years. Below you'll find a heat map showing where in town voter turnout was the highest.
  • This continues a trend Sioux Falls Simplified analyzed four years ago in which as the city's population grows, its voter turnout shrinks. The last time the city elected a mayor in a run-off election in 2018 (when Paul TenHaken first took office), voter turnout was 31%.
  • It's always important to vote, obviously, but the importance is never so striking as when there's a two vote difference between the two candidates. That means if you cast a ballot Tuesday, your vote could've been the deciding vote.

Show me the map

2026 CITY ELECTION

FAQ: What we know about the mayoral election recount process

Simplified: It's historic any way you slice it. In an election with more than 36,000 votes, only two separated the two mayoral candidates, Christine Erickson and Jamie Smith, Tuesday night. So, we don't yet know who will be Sioux Falls' next mayor, but here's what we do know about the process moving forward.

Why it matters

  • Listen, I think we can skip this part, right? The mayor is a big deal, so it really matters who holds that seat.

OK, on to the Q&A

TL;DR

Super Simplified Stories

  • Council officially canvasses election. The Sioux Falls City Council on Friday morning approved a resolution declaring the results of the June 23 run-off election. This essentially means the council is looking over the results and declaring a winner based on the votes tabulated. Now that the results have been certified by the council, candidates can (and will) file for a recount.
  • Let's talk civics. The League of Women Voters and South Dakota News Watch are teaming up for an event celebrating 250 years of American Civics and News. The interactive program will explore how civics and communications organizations have influenced the nation, from Revolutionary War newspapers to today’s podcasters. It's all happening starting at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, June 30 at the Downtown Library. Details here.
  • How parks & health are working together. The city's parks and public health departments are collaborating to figure out how to align park investments with community health needs – all backed by data from the Community Health Assessment. Essentially, they're looking at health needs and ways in which the city parks department can amend its master plan to meet the recreation needs of residents.

THIS AND THAT

What I'm falling for this week:

ICYMI

More Simplified Stories

Why we still don’t know the next mayor
In a true nail-biter of a race, just two votes separated Christine Erickson and Jamie Smith when the results were reported around midnight Tuesday. It’s too close to call as we await a recount.
Sioux Falls SimplifiedMegan Raposa
Stuff to do: June 24-30
Here’s a look at what’s happening in Sioux Falls this week.
Sioux Falls SimplifiedMegan Raposa
Meet Sioux Falls’ new City Council members
Overall, about 24% of Sioux Falls voters cast a ballot in Tuesday’s run-off election. Here’s a look at who they voted for.
Sioux Falls SimplifiedMegan Raposa

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