Yankton County Sample Ballot & Voter Guide 2026
11 candidates are on the November 3, 2026 ballot across 5 Yankton County races, led by the Yankton County County Auditor contest.
County offices
County AuditorLaura Kotalik (R)
Unopposed: still on your ballot.
Laura Kotalik Republican
Laura Kotalik is running for Yankton County Auditor in South Dakota. She taught for more than 14 years across three school districts and spent 8 years in ministry management, overseeing staff, budgets and volunteers, per her campaign site. She holds a Bachelor of Science and a Master of Arts in Education from SDSU and USD, per her campaign site.
Laura Kotalik is unopposed on the November 3, 2026 ballot, per the South Dakota Secretary of State's certified candidate list.
Full race pageCommissioner (At Large)Dan Klimisch (R) · Julie Auch (R) · Ryan Heine (R)
Dan Klimisch (Republican), Julie Auch (Republican) and Ryan Heine (Republican) are on the November 3, 2026 ballot for Yankton County Commissioner (At Large).
Dan Klimisch Republican
Dan Klimisch, of Utica, is an incumbent Yankton County Commissioner, per the Yankton Daily Press & Dakotan. No campaign website was found as of September 20, 2026.
Julie Auch Republican
Julie Auch is on the November 3, 2026 ballot for Yankton County Commissioner (At Large), per the South Dakota Secretary of State's certified 2026 general-election candidate list. No campaign website was found as of September 20, 2026.
Ryan Heine Republican
Ryan Heine is an incumbent Yankton County Commissioner, per the Yankton Daily Press & Dakotan. No campaign website was found as of September 20, 2026.
3 candidates are on the November 3, 2026 ballot for the county's at-large commission seats, per the South Dakota Secretary of State's certified candidate list; the list does not specify how many seats are up this cycle.
Full race pageSheriffPreston Crissey (R)
Unopposed: still on your ballot.
Preston Crissey Republican
Preston Crissey, of Yankton, is the incumbent Yankton County Sheriff, per the Yankton Daily Press & Dakotan. No campaign website was found as of September 20, 2026.
Preston Crissey is unopposed on the November 3, 2026 ballot, per the South Dakota Secretary of State's certified candidate list.
Full race pageBy address
These seats are elected by district; only the district covering your address is on your ballot.
Find your districts by addressSouth Dakota Senate District 18Kay Swihart (D) · Lauren Nelson (R)
Kay Swihart Democratic
- Improve affordability of health and home insurance
- Support Medicaid expansion and competitive pay for teachers and paraprofessionals
- Increase public school funding and government transparency around data centers and taxes
Per the South Dakota Public Broadcasting.
About Kay Swihart
Kay Swihart is a Yankton area Democrat running for South Dakota Senate District 18, per South Dakota Public Broadcasting. Swihart spent 14 years at Southern California Edison working in utility operations, transmission and substation construction, accounting and regulatory research, and has also worked in public schools and banking and co-founded a nonprofit organization, per South Dakota Public Broadcasting. No campaign website was found as of September 20, 2026.
Lauren Nelson Republican Incumbent
- Focus on juvenile incarceration, K-12 education, taxes and government spending
- Address community concerns about data centers, including energy demand, infrastructure needs and water use
Per the South Dakota Public Broadcasting.
About Lauren Nelson
Lauren Nelson is the incumbent state senator for South Dakota Senate District 18, per the South Dakota Legislature's official roster. She has 20 years of experience as a teacher and administrator and describes herself as a farm wife, per South Dakota Public Broadcasting. No campaign website was found as of September 20, 2026.
Kay Swihart (Democratic), Lauren Nelson (Republican) are on the November 3, 2026 ballot for South Dakota Senate District 18. Lauren Nelson is the sitting member, per the Legislature's 2026 session roster. Party nominees were chosen at the June 2, 2026 primary, per the South Dakota Secretary of State's 2026 general-election candidate list.
Full race pageSouth Dakota House District 18Karen Springer (D) · Jarod Holcomb (D) · John R. Marquardt (R) · Mike Stevens (R)
Karen Springer Democratic
- Increasing public education funding and staff pay
- State funding for child care, including daycare centers and in home care
- Quality, affordable health care access
Per the campaign site.
About Karen Springer
Karen Springer served in the United States Air Force for twenty two years, per the campaign site. Springer lives in Yankton, South Dakota, and is running for South Dakota House District 18, per the campaign site.
Jarod Holcomb Democratic
- Wants relief from rising property taxes for working families and homeowners in District 18
- Wants to eliminate South Dakota's grocery tax
- Opposes approving data center developments over local community objections
Per the campaign site.
About Jarod Holcomb
Jarod Holcomb has worked for thirteen years on the casthouse floor at Hydro in Yankton County, per his campaign site. He serves as treasurer of the Yankton County Democrats and sits on the board of Pathways, a Yankton homeless shelter, per his campaign site. He is a homeowner in District 18, per his campaign site.
John R. Marquardt Republican
- Supports funding for schools and public safety in District 18
- Wants the legislature to require fiscal impact statements before imposing new mandates on counties and increase state participation in existing obligations
- Focuses on infrastructure and managing growth from expanding industries in the district
Per the campaign site.
About John R. Marquardt
John R. Marquardt serves as chairman of the Yankton County Commission, per his campaign site. He was raised on a family farm in the Yankton area, per his campaign site.
Mike Stevens Republican Incumbent
Mike Stevens is the sitting Republican state representative for District 18, per the South Dakota Legislature's official roster. His listed occupation is attorney, per the same roster. No campaign website was found as of September 20, 2026.
Karen Springer (Democratic), Jarod Holcomb (Democratic), John R. Marquardt (Republican), Mike Stevens (Republican) are on the November 3, 2026 ballot for South Dakota House District 18. Voters choose two. Mike Stevens is the sitting member, per the Legislature's 2026 session roster. Party nominees were chosen at the June 2, 2026 primary, per the South Dakota Secretary of State's 2026 general-election candidate list.
Full race pageSee your full ballot
Voting info and more
Voting info and more
Verify your ballot with the official election office.
Cross-check every race and candidate with the official election office. Official sources are the final word.
South Dakota's field is the Secretary of State's general election candidate list. Party nominees were chosen at the June 2, 2026 primary; candidates for some offices are nominated at party conventions. Each of the 35 legislative districts elects one senator and two representatives, so House races say voters choose two, except the single-member House districts 26A, 26B, 28A and 28B. Unopposed candidates still appear on the ballot.
Who is on the ballot in Yankton County, South Dakota on November 3, 2026?
Yankton County sample ballot 2026: see where the commissioner, county auditor and county sheriff candidates stand on schools, taxes and the budget. Every candidate profile on this page names the official filing or campaign source it came from.
When is the 2026 general election in South Dakota?
Election Day is Tuesday, November 3, 2026. Registration deadlines, early voting dates and mail ballot rules for South Dakota are listed on the South Dakota election hub. South Dakota election hub →
How do I see my exact Yankton County ballot?
Enter your ZIP code in the lookup for the statewide and congressional races on every ballot in the county, or a full street address to add the county, city and district contests for that location. Look up your ballot →
South Dakota statewide racesEvery South Dakota race on this county's ballot.All South Dakota ballot measures4 statewide ballot measuresCandidate roster last updated Sep 27, 2026 from official election sources.