Codington County Sample Ballot & Voter Guide 2026
Who is running for County Auditor, County Commissioner, and County Register of Deeds and more, and where they stand on schools, health care and agriculture.
County offices
AuditorDebbie Melville (Independent) · Brenda Hanten (R)
Debbie Melville (Independent) and Brenda Hanten (Republican) are on the November 3, 2026 ballot for Codington County Auditor.
Debbie Melville
Debbie Melville is on the November 3, 2026 ballot for Codington County Auditor, per the South Dakota Secretary of State's certified 2026 general-election candidate list. No campaign website was found as of September 20, 2026.
Brenda Hanten
Brenda Hanten is on the November 3, 2026 ballot for Codington County Auditor, per the South Dakota Secretary of State's certified 2026 general-election candidate list. No campaign website was found as of September 20, 2026.
2 candidates are on the November 3, 2026 ballot for Codington County Auditor, per the South Dakota Secretary of State's certified candidate list.
Full race pageCommissioner, District 1Chris Hupke (R)
Unopposed: still on your ballot.
Chris Hupke
Chris Hupke is on the November 3, 2026 ballot for Codington County Commissioner, District 1, per the South Dakota Secretary of State's certified 2026 general-election candidate list. No campaign website was found as of September 20, 2026.
Chris Hupke is unopposed on the November 3, 2026 ballot, per the South Dakota Secretary of State's certified candidate list.
Full race pageCommissioner, District 3Nathan Graf (R)
Unopposed: still on your ballot.
Nathan Graf
Nathan Graf is on the November 3, 2026 ballot for Codington County Commissioner, District 3, per the South Dakota Secretary of State's certified 2026 general-election candidate list. No campaign website was found as of September 20, 2026.
Nathan Graf is unopposed on the November 3, 2026 ballot, per the South Dakota Secretary of State's certified candidate list.
Full race pageCommissioner, District 5Randall Schweer (R)
Unopposed: still on your ballot.
Randall Schweer
Randall Schweer is the sitting Codington County Commissioner for District 5 and serves as Vice Chairman of the commission, per the county's official website. No campaign website was found as of September 20, 2026.
Randall Schweer is unopposed on the November 3, 2026 ballot, per the South Dakota Secretary of State's certified candidate list.
Full race pageRegister of DeedsAnn Rasmussen (R)
Unopposed: still on your ballot.
Ann Rasmussen
Ann Rasmussen is on the November 3, 2026 ballot for Codington County Register of Deeds, per the South Dakota Secretary of State's certified 2026 general-election candidate list. No campaign website was found as of September 20, 2026.
Ann Rasmussen is unopposed on the November 3, 2026 ballot, per the South Dakota Secretary of State's certified candidate list.
Full race pageSheriffBrad Howell (R)
Unopposed: still on your ballot.
Brad Howell
Brad Howell is the sitting Codington County Sheriff, per the county's official website. No campaign website was found as of September 20, 2026.
Brad Howell 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.
Codington County is split across 4 South Dakota Senate and House districts.
Find your districts by addressSouth Dakota Senate: 2 districtsDistricts 4, 5
South Dakota Senate District 4Stephanie Sauder (R)
Unopposed: still on your ballot.
Stephanie Sauder
Stephanie Sauder is the Republican incumbent state senator for South Dakota Senate District 4 in northeast South Dakota, running unopposed for reelection in 2026, per South Dakota Public Broadcasting. She was elected to the state Senate in 2024 after previously serving one term in the House, per South Dakota Public Broadcasting. Sauder is an agricultural producer and a retired teacher and newspaper editor, per South Dakota Public Broadcasting. No campaign website was found as of September 20, 2026.
Stephanie Sauder (Republican) is the only candidate on the November 3, 2026 ballot for South Dakota Senate District 4; unopposed candidates still appear on South Dakota ballots, so the race is on the ballot but is not contested. Stephanie Sauder 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 Senate District 5Glen A. Vilhauer (R)
Unopposed: still on your ballot.
Glen A. Vilhauer
Top priorities
From the campaign site
- Supporting agriculture, working families, and small businesses
- Regional economic development and local control over state mandates
- A fiscally conservative approach to balancing South Dakota's budget
About Glen A. Vilhauer
Glen Vilhauer is the Republican incumbent state senator for South Dakota Senate District 5, which includes Watertown, running unopposed for reelection in 2026, per South Dakota Public Broadcasting. He is a retired CPA and small-business owner who also serves on the Watertown city council, per his campaign site.
Glen A. Vilhauer (Republican) is the only candidate on the November 3, 2026 ballot for South Dakota Senate District 5; unopposed candidates still appear on South Dakota ballots, so the race is on the ballot but is not contested. Glen A. Vilhauer 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: 2 districtsDistricts 4, 5
South Dakota House District 4Emelia Enquist (D) · Samuel Froehlke (Independent) · Ryan Kohl (R) · Fred Deutsch (R)
Emelia Enquist
Top priorities
From the campaign site
- Prioritizes funding for education and bringing down costs for housing, healthcare and childcare.
- Supports robust guidelines for data center regulation, including environmental protections, and opposes special tax breaks for corporations.
About Emelia Enquist
Emelia Enquist is a Lutheran minister serving three rural churches across Grant and Deuel counties and a fifth generation Grant County resident, per Enquist's campaign site. Enquist holds a bachelor's degree in advertising and public relations from Drury University and is pursuing a master's degree in systematic theology from Luther Seminary, per the campaign site. Enquist previously wrote for the Grant County Review and received the South Dakota NewsMedia Association's 2023 Outstanding Young Journalist award, per the campaign site.
Samuel Froehlke
Top priorities
From other published sources
- Names affordability, particularly healthcare costs, property taxes, EMS funding and school funding reform as top priorities., per South Dakota Public Broadcasting
- Favors ending subsidies and special tax deals for ethanol projects and carbon pipelines., per South Dakota Public Broadcasting
About Samuel Froehlke
Samuel Froehlke, of Toronto, South Dakota, is running as an Independent for South Dakota House District 4, per the South Dakota War College. He describes his approach as conservative and independent, per his campaign site.
Ryan Kohl
Top priorities
From other published sources
- Wants to address state budget gaps caused by inflation without cutting education funding, and supports rural housing solutions built through grassroots partnerships., per South Dakota Public Broadcasting
- Cites aging water systems, bridges and culverts, along with gaps in childcare, healthcare and volunteer fire department support, as district priorities., per South Dakota Public Broadcasting
About Ryan Kohl
Ryan Kohl is a farmer and educator who has served nearly 25 years in the National Guard and Air Force, per South Dakota Public Broadcasting. Kohl is a father of three and has also worked as a church confirmation and Sunday school teacher, per South Dakota Public Broadcasting.
Fred Deutsch
Top priorities
From other published sources
- Prioritizes property tax relief, school funding and teacher compensation, and support for technical colleges such as Lake Area Technical College., per South Dakota Public Broadcasting
- Wants investment in rural healthcare and protection of family farm and property rights, including local landowner input on development projects., per South Dakota Public Broadcasting
About Fred Deutsch
Fred Deutsch is a retired chiropractor who practiced for 40 years and served eight years on the Watertown School Board, per South Dakota Public Broadcasting. Deutsch previously served eight years in the South Dakota House, most recently in the 2024 session, and had 19 sponsored bills signed into law, per South Dakota Public Broadcasting.
Emelia Enquist (Democratic), Samuel Froehlke (Independent), Ryan Kohl (Republican), Fred Deutsch (Republican) are on the November 3, 2026 ballot for South Dakota House District 4. Voters choose two. The Legislature's 2026 session roster shows no sitting member among these candidates. 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 5Neal Tapio (Independent) · Byron I. Callies (R) · Matt Roby (R)
Neal Tapio
Neal Tapio previously served one term in the South Dakota Senate representing District 5, first elected in 2016, per South Dakota Public Broadcasting. No campaign website was found as of September 20, 2026.
Byron I. Callies
Byron I. Callies previously served one term in the South Dakota House representing District 5 during the 2023-2024 legislative sessions, per South Dakota Public Broadcasting. Callies has a background in the military and the energy industry, per South Dakota Public Broadcasting. No campaign website was found as of September 20, 2026.
Matt Roby
Matt Roby is an attorney and investment advisor and a fourth generation Watertown resident, per Roby's campaign site. Roby is a father of four and previously served as a South Dakota assistant attorney general and as Watertown's city attorney, per the campaign site.
Neal Tapio (Independent), Byron I. Callies (Republican), Matt Roby (Republican) are on the November 3, 2026 ballot for South Dakota House District 5. Voters choose two. Matt Roby 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 pageVoting 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 Codington County, South Dakota on November 3, 2026?
Codington County sample ballot 2026: see where the county auditor, county commissioner and register of deeds candidates stand on schools and health care. 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 Codington 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 Oct 24, 2026 from official election sources.