What veterans and first-time voters in Sioux Falls are saying.

Amid voting controversy, Sioux Falls residents went to the polls Tuesday morning to vote in the 2024 general election.

From first-time voters to seasoned voting veterans, here’s what Sioux Falls residents had to say about long lines, overall turnout and voter experience, presidential candidates and Election Day ballot issues.

An impatient line of voters on the west side

The parking lot at Memorial High School was full. And it wasn’t the teachers.

The line out the door was long, but the energy was upbeat, and volunteers inside said they had already greeted nearly 2,000 voters by 10 a.m.

“I feel a lot of anticipation today,” said voter Grant Eriksen before leaving polling stations 16 and 17. “I’m thinking good thoughts, keeping a positive attitude. We just need to keep moving forward.”

His wife felt confident voting no on South Dakota’s Amendment G and yes on state Amendment IM 29. Both she and her husband voted for former President Donald Trump.

“Given the early Republican turnout, (this election) is too big to be rigged,” Jody Eriksen said.

Voter Zoe Cruz walked past her and said the same thing.

“It’s going to be a big day,” Kruse said. “I think we are in for a landslide red victory. Dear Lord, make it so big that they can’t make it.”

Retired couple Elaine and John Dotter didn’t feel so confident on the Republican ticket.

“Honestly, I wish we had the top two candidates,” John Dotter said.

He and his wife moved to South Dakota from the East Coast less than two years ago to be closer to their daughter and twin grandchildren.

“I’m concerned that (Trump) is going to seek revenge for his latest defeat, and I’m also not sure about his health,” he said. “There should be an age limit.”

“And then Kamala fully supported (President Joe) Biden, but when she decided to run (for president), she started saying, ‘Well, that’s not me anymore.’ Well, it was like that for four years,” added his wife, Elaine Dotter.

Charlie Kolb, 18, voted for the first time. She’s a freshman at Augustana University who stood outside in the crisp rain with her proud father, Charles Kolb.

“This That election to vote for the first time,” said Charlie Kolb. “There are two very different paths our country can take depending on who wins, and I am confident that I am choosing the right path. I did all the research.”

Charles Kolb said he was excited to finally show her how he had voted in every election he could, even voting absentee when he was in Africa with the Peace Corps years ago.

“This is an important time that I wanted to share with her,” he said. “There are things that cause concern, but everyone has the right to say what they think.”

Samantha Mrazek, 22, voted in her second general election Tuesday on the Active Generations website. Mrazek said her first vote in Sioux Falls went smoothly. She said politics affects everyone, so it’s hard not to care about voting.

“I think this election is very important because it’s really about preserving your democracy and fighting for what makes America what it should be,” Mrazek said. “It’s about freedom and acceptance and welcoming people, and I think that’s so important to preserve.”

There are always two sides

At the Siouxland Library downtown during lunch hour, a Democratic voter stood in a short line, relieved to finally have her voice heard after an election season during which she had felt muted. She asked not to be named due to work conflicts and security concerns.

“I hate that I have to hide my feelings,” she said Tuesday, thanking local media for supporting voters’ choices. “When I was growing up in the ’70s and ’80s, you could have different opinions and still love each other, but now if I don’t think a certain way, I’ll get punished.”

But then one voter and poll volunteer expressed gratitude for finally feeling heard. He became an American citizen only last year, and this was the first presidential election.

“It’s nice to be part of the solution and the future of this great country,” Jairo Carrillo, who emigrated from Guatemala and became a citizen last May, said during a ceremony at the Washington Pavilion among 150 others from 25 different countries.

He decided to voluntarily immerse himself in the “real American experience.”

Help on Election Day

Poll volunteer Dejae Mikkelsen said they were relieved to finally arrive on Election Day. His name tag had two exclamation points behind his name, and he greeted every voter at the downtown library with a big smile and a “thank you for coming.”

“I feel much less anxious than I did yesterday and (in) the months leading up to this,” he said. “You always have that foresight, but right now we’re in the moment. I’m very pleased to be here.”

Changing the melody

Nancy Seiler voted for Donald Trump in 2020, but said four years later she is not as confident in the candidate. The woman, originally from North Carolina, said she was worried about the country.

“This is not the Republican Party anymore,” Sailer said.

Seiler, a former Peace Corps volunteer, sent messages to representatives expressing her concerns.

“But my family still supports me,” Sailer said. “And I keep saying, ‘I love you, but how can you be so stupid?'”

Smooth election process

Precinct superintendents across the city seemed to agree that voting was going smoothly.

Judy Swearingen, superintendent of Station 01-04, said Active Generations had a steady line throughout the morning. Two polling stations reported voting for Active Generations.

Swearingen expected an influx of voters around noon, during the lunch break.

“One way or another, then you get a little lull, which is good. And then we can rebuild and get ready for the next one,” Swearington said. “And then we had a wave, and a wave, and a wave, and now it’s almost, well, it’s only 11 a.m.”

Alan Gabor, precinct manager for Precinct 01-05, said he doesn’t think voters will have to wait more than 10 minutes. Gabor also believed that there were more early voters.

Early voting and absentee attendance

Some people avoided Tuesday’s dreary weather by heading to the polls early. By Nov. 1, the South Dakota Secretary of State’s Office had received 141,554 absentee ballots, according to the department. website. Absentee voting continues through Monday.

Absentee voting is down about 75,000 compared to the 2020 general election, when 215,140 early voting ballots were received at about the same time, according to the South Dakota Secretary of State’s Office.

The Secretary of State’s Office said both 2020 and 2024 had higher absentee voter turnout than the 2016 general election, in which only 102,390 absentee ballots were received.

Overall voter turnout in South Dakota was about 70% in 2016 and about 74% in 2020.

This story is evolving. Check back to find out more.