Overview
- County officials confirmed on June 25 that Christine Erickson leads Jamie Smith by two votes, 18,280 to 18,278, out of more than 36,000 ballots cast.
- Jamie Smith has said he will request a recount and both campaigns have pledged to oversee a transparent review of the ballots.
- State and local rules require the canvass and certification before a recount can begin, officials say a canvass may take several days and an official recount can take up to 10 days after it is requested.
- If the recount ends in a tie, municipal law authorizes deciding the winner by drawing lots, a method used in past South Dakota contests such as Baltic in 2021.
- The city certified three City Council runoff seats even as the mayoral outcome remains unresolved, raising the prospect that the transition to the next mayor could be delayed and that residents will wait weeks for a final declaration.