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Presidential election in South Dakota, 2020
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|
2020 presidential election  |
Democratic primary: June 2, 2020 |
Republican primary: June 2, 2020 |
Electoral College: Three votes |
President Donald Trump (R) won the presidential election in South Dakota on November 3, 2020. Former Vice President Joe Biden (D) won the presidential election with 306 electoral votes to Trump's 232 electoral votes.
Biden won South Dakota's Democratic primary on June 2, 2020.[1] Trump was unopposed in the Republican primary and therefore did not appear on the ballot.[2]
South Dakota was one of seven states with three votes in the Electoral College, making it tied for fewest. South Dakota was carried by the Republican presidential nominee in every election between 1968 and 2016; the last Democrat to carry the state was Lyndon B. Johnson (D). Between 1900 and 2016, South Dakota was carried by the Republican presidential candidate in 86.67% of elections and by the Democratic candidate in 10%.
In the 2016 election, Trump carried South Dakota with 61.5% of the vote to Hillary Clinton's (D) 31.7% and Gary Johnson's (L) 5.6%.
This page includes the following sections:
- Candidates and election results
- Government response to coronavirus pandemic in South Dakota
- Democratic primary
- Republican primary
- Candidate filing requirements
- Historical election trends
- Presidential election by state
Candidates and election results
General election
Presidential election in South Dakota, 2020
Candidate/Running mate |
% |
Popular votes |
Electoral votes |
||
| ✔ |
 
| Donald Trump/Mike Pence (R) |
61.8
|
261,043 | 3 |
 
| Joe Biden/Kamala D. Harris (D) |
35.6
|
150,471 | 0 | |
 
| Jo Jorgensen/Spike Cohen (L) |
2.6
|
11,095 | 0 | |
 |
Total votes: 422,609 |
Primary election
South Dakota Democratic presidential primary on June 2, 2020
Candidate |
% |
Votes |
Pledged delegates |
|
|
| Joe Biden |
77.5
|
40,800 | 13 |
 | Bernie Sanders |
22.5
|
11,861 | 3 |
|
Total votes: 52,661 • Total pledged delegates: 16 |
South Dakota's Republican primary was scheduled for June 2, 2020. President Donald Trump was unopposed in the Republican primary and therefore did not appear on the ballot.[2] He was awarded all of the expected 29 delegates.
Summary of changes to election dates and procedures
South Dakota did not modify any procedures for the November 3, 2020, general election.
For a full timeline about election modifications made in response to the COVID-19 outbreak, click here.
Frequently asked questions
The 2020 election took place against a backdrop of uncertainty. Our readers had questions about what to expect in elections at all levels of government, from the casting of ballots to the certification of final results. Ballotpedia's 2020 Election Help Desk was designed to answer those questions. Ballotpedia is in the process of compiling and answering frequently asked questions related to the 2020 elections. Questions related to this election will be available soon.
Additional resources
- Documenting South Dakota's path to recovery from the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, 2020-2021
- Government responses to and political effects of the coronavirus pandemic, 2020 (South Dakota)
- School responses in South Dakota to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic during the 2020-2021 school year
- Debate in South Dakota over responses to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, 2020
- Changes to election dates, procedures, and administration in response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, 2020
Democratic primary
- See also: Democratic presidential nomination, 2020
Former Vice President Joe Biden (D) was formally nominated as the Democratic presidential nominee at the 2020 Democratic National Convention on August 18, 2020.[3] The convention was originally scheduled to take place July 13-16, 2020.[4] Organizers postponed the event in response to the coronavirus pandemic.
Prior to the national convention, individual state caucuses and primaries were held to allocate convention delegates. These delegates vote at the convention to select the nominee. In 2020, a Democratic presidential candidate needed support from 1,991 delegates to secure the nomination.
With the plurality of pledged delegates, Biden became the presumptive Democratic nominee on April 8, 2020, after Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) suspended his presidential campaign.[5] Biden crossed the delegate threshold necessary to win the nomination on June 5, 2020.[6]
Biden announced U.S. Sen. Kamala Harris (D) as his running mate on August 11, 2020. Harris is the first Black woman to appear on a major party's ticket in the United States.[7]
Republican primary
- See also: Republican presidential nomination, 2020
The Republican Party selected President Donald Trump as its presidential nominee at the 2020 Republican National Convention, which was held from August 24-27, 2020.[8]
Prior to the national convention, individual state caucuses and primaries were held to allocate convention delegates. These delegates vote at the convention to select the nominee. Trump crossed the delegate threshold necessary to win the nomination—1,276 delegates—on March 17, 2020.
George H.W. Bush (R) was the last incumbent to face a serious primary challenge, defeating political commentator Pat Buchanan in 1992. He was also the last president to lose his re-election campaign. Franklin Pierce (D) was the first and only elected president to lose his party's nomination in 1856.[9]
Sixteen U.S. presidents—approximately one-third—have won two consecutive elections.
Candidate filing requirements
The tables below detail filing requirements for presidential candidates in South Dakota in the 2020 election cycle. For additional information on candidate ballot access requirements in South Dakota, click here.
Presidential primary candidates
In South Dakota, political parties submit the names of their candidates for placement on the primary ballot. Candidates do not petition directly for ballot access.
Independent presidential candidates
| Filing requirements for independent candidates in South Dakota, 2020 | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| State | Signatures required | Signature formula | Filing fee | Filing fee formula | Filing deadline | Source |
| South Dakota | 3,392 | 1% of the total number of votes cast for governor in the last general election | N/A | N/A | 8/4/2020 | Source |
Historical election results
2016
General election
| U.S. presidential election, South Dakota, 2016 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | Electoral votes | |
| Democratic | Hillary Clinton/Tim Kaine | 31.7% | 117,458 | 0 | |
| Republican |  Donald Trump/Mike Pence |
61.5% | 227,721 | 3 | |
| Libertarian | Gary Johnson/Bill Weld | 5.6% | 20,850 | 0 | |
| Constitution | Darrell Lane Castle/Scott Bradley | 1.1% | 4,064 | 0 | |
| Total Votes | 370,093 | 3 | |||
| Election results via: Federal Election Commission | |||||
Primary election
| South Dakota Democratic Primary, 2016 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes | Delegates | |
|
Hillary Clinton |
51% | 27,047 | 10 | |
| Bernie Sanders | 49% | 25,959 | 10 | |
| Totals | 53,006 | 20 | ||
| Source: The New York Times and South Dakota Secretary of State | ||||
| South Dakota Republican Primary, 2016 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes | Delegates | |
|
Donald Trump |
67.1% | 44,867 | 29 | |
| Ted Cruz | 17% | 11,352 | 0 | |
| John Kasich | 15.9% | 10,660 | 0 | |
| Totals | 66,879 | 29 | ||
| Source: The New York Times and South Dakota Secretary of State | ||||
2012
| U.S. presidential election, South Dakota, 2012 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | Electoral votes | |
| Republican | Mitt Romney/Paul Ryan |
57.9% | 210,610 | 3 | |
| Democratic | Barack Obama/Joe Biden Incumbent | 39.9% | 145,039 | 0 | |
| Libertarian | Gary Johnson/Jim Gray | 1.6% | 5,795 | 0 | |
| Constitution | Virgil Goode/James Clymer | 0.7% | 2,371 | 0 | |
| Total Votes | 363,815 | 3 | |||
| Election results via: U.S. Election Atlas | |||||
2008
| U.S. presidential election, South Dakota, 2008 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | Electoral votes | |
| Republican | John McCain/Sarah Palin |
53.2% | 203,054 | 3 | |
| Democratic | Barack Obama/Joe Biden | 44.7% | 170,924 | 0 | |
| Independent | Ralph Nader/Matt Gonzalez | 1.1% | 4,267 | 0 | |
| Constitution | Chuck Baldwin/Darrell Castle | 0.5% | 1,895 | 0 | |
| Independent | Bob Barr/Wayne Allyn Root | 0.5% | 1,835 | 0 | |
| Total Votes | 381,975 | 3 | |||
| Election results via: U.S. Election Atlas | |||||
Presidential statewide margins of victory of 5 percentage points or fewer, 1948-2016
The following map shows the number of times, in presidential elections held between 1948 and 2016, that the margin of victory was 5 percentage points or fewer in each state.
- Wisconsin was the state with the most frequently narrow margins during this time period, appearing on the list in 10 presidential elections.
- Five states appeared eight times: Florida, Missouri, Nevada, Ohio, and Pennsylvania.
- The state with the narrowest margin of victory was Florida in 2000 at 537 votes or one-hundredth of a percentage point.
Historical election trends
- See also: Presidential voting history by state
South Dakota presidential election results (1900-2024)
- 3 Democratic wins
- 28 Republican wins
- 1 other win
| Year | 1900 | 1904 | 1908 | 1912 | 1916 | 1920 | 1924 | 1928 | 1932 | 1936 | 1940 | 1944 | 1948 | 1952 | 1956 | 1960 | 1964 | 1968 | 1972 | 1976 | 1980 | 1984 | 1988 | 1992 | 1996 | 2000 | 2004 | 2008 | 2012 | 2016 | 2020 | 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Winning Party | R | R | R | P[10] | R | R | R | R | D | D | R | R | R | R | R | R | D | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R |
- See also: Presidential election accuracy
Below is an analysis of South Dakota's voting record in presidential elections. The state's accuracy is based on the number of times a state has voted for a winning presidential candidate. The majority of statistical data is from the U.S. National Archives and Records Administration and was compiled, here, by Ballotpedia, unless otherwise noted.
Presidential election voting record in South Dakota, 1900-2016
Between 1900 and 2016:
- South Dakota participated in 30 presidential elections.
- South Dakota voted for the winning presidential candidate 63.33 percent of the time. The average accuracy of voting for winning presidential candidates for all 50 states in this time frame was 72.31 percent.[11]
- South Dakota voted Democratic 10 percent of the time and Republican 86.67 percent of the time.
Third party votes
In 1912, Woodrow Wilson ran as the Democratic candidate, Theodore Roosevelt ran as a Progressive candidate, and William H. Taft ran as the Republican candidate. Taft won Utah and Vermont, while Roosevelt won 11 electoral votes (Wilson got two) from California, 15 from Michigan, 12 from Minnesota, 38 in Pennsylvania, five from South Dakota, and seven from Washington.[12]
Presidential election voting record in South Dakota, 2000-2016
- Accuracy: 60 percent[13]
- 2000 state winner: George W. Bush (R)*
- 2004 state winner: George W. Bush (R)*
- 2008 state winner: John McCain (R)
- 2012 state winner: Mitt Romney (R)
- 2016 state winner: Donald Trump (R)*
*An asterisk indicates that that candidate also won the national electoral vote in that election.
State profile
- See also: South Dakota and South Dakota elections, 2019
Partisan data
The information in this section was current as of May 7, 2019
Presidential voting pattern
- South Dakota voted Republican in all seven presidential elections between 2000 and 2024.
Congressional delegation
- Following the 2018 elections, both U.S. Senators from South Dakota were Republicans.
- South Dakota's lone U.S. Representative was a Republican.
State executives
- Republicans held 11 of South Dakota's 16 state executive offices. Elections for the other offices are nonpartisan.
- South Dakota's governor was Republican Kristi Noem.
State legislature
- Republicans controlled the South Dakota State Senate with a 30-5 majority.
- Republicans controlled the South Dakota House of Representatives with a 59-11 majority.
South Dakota Party Control: 1992-2025
No Democratic trifectas • Thirty-two years of Republican trifectas
Scroll left and right on the table below to view more years.
| Year | 92 | 93 | 94 | 95 | 96 | 97 | 98 | 99 | 00 | 01 | 02 | 03 | 04 | 05 | 06 | 07 | 08 | 09 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Governor | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R |
| Senate | R | D | D | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R |
| House | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R |
|
|
| Demographic data for South Dakota | ||
|---|---|---|
| South Dakota | U.S. | |
| Total population: | 857,919 | 316,515,021 |
| Land area (sq mi): | 75,811 | 3,531,905 |
| Race and ethnicity** | ||
| White: | 85% | 73.6% |
| Black/African American: | 1.6% | 12.6% |
| Asian: | 1.2% | 5.1% |
| Native American: | 8.6% | 0.8% |
| Pacific Islander: | 0% | 0.2% |
| Two or more: | 2.6% | 3% |
| Hispanic/Latino: | 3.3% | 17.1% |
| Education | ||
| High school graduation rate: | 90.9% | 86.7% |
| College graduation rate: | 27% | 29.8% |
| Income | ||
| Median household income: | $50,957 | $53,889 |
| Persons below poverty level: | 15.3% | 11.3% |
| Source: U.S. Census Bureau, "American Community Survey" (5-year estimates 2010-2015) Click here for more information on the 2020 census and here for more on its impact on the redistricting process in South Dakota. **Note: Percentages for race and ethnicity may add up to more than 100 percent because respondents may report more than one race and the Hispanic/Latino ethnicity may be selected in conjunction with any race. Read more about race and ethnicity in the census here. | ||
Presidential election by state
- See also: Presidential election by state, 2020
Click on a state below to navigate to information about the presidential election in that jurisdiction.
See also
- Presidential candidates, 2020
- Democratic presidential nomination, 2020
- Republican presidential nomination, 2020
- Presidential election by state, 2020
Footnotes
- ↑ The New York Times, "South Dakota Presidential Democratic Primary Election Results," accessed June 2, 2020
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 South Dakota Secretary of State, "2020 Primary Election," accessed June 2, 2020
- ↑ Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "2020 DNC in Milwaukee pushed back to week of August 17 in response to coronavirus pandemic," April 2, 2020
- ↑ The New York Times, "Milwaukee Picked as Site of 2020 Democratic National Convention," March 11, 2019
- ↑ Talking Points Memo, "Bernie Sanders Ends 2020 Bid, Making Biden Presumptive Dem Nominee," April 8, 2020
- ↑ AP, "Biden formally clinches Democratic presidential nomination," June 5, 2020
- ↑ CNBC, "Joe Biden picks Sen. Kamala Harris to be his vice presidential running mate, making her the first black woman on a major ticket," August 11, 2020
- ↑ Charlotte Observer, "Here’s when the 2020 Republican National Convention will be in Charlotte," October 1, 2018
- ↑ NPR, "When Has A President Been Denied His Party's Nomination?" July 22, 2009
- ↑ Progressive Party
- ↑ This average includes states like Arizona, New Mexico, and Oklahoma, which did not participate in all 30 presidential elections between 1900 and 2016. It does not include Washington, D.C., which cast votes for president for the first time in 1964, or Alaska and Hawaii, which cast votes for president for the first time in 1960.
- ↑ U.S. National Archives and Records Administration, "Electoral Votes, 1904-1912," accessed June 21, 2016
- ↑ This number refers to the number of times that the state voted for the winning presidential candidate between 2000 and 2016.
- ↑ The order in which North Dakota and South Dakota entered the union is disputed. Both states were granted statehood by President Benjamin Harrison on Nov. 2, 1889. Contemporary accounts and historians say that Harrison shuffled the papers on his desk and exposed only the signature lines of the statehood papers so no one, Harrison included, knew which paper was signed first.
- ↑ Bismarck Tribune, "At 125 years of Dakotas statehood, rivalry remains," November 2, 2014
