Watertown School District Approves Agreement to Combine 2026 Election with County

Steve Jurrens
4 days ago
2 min read

Northeast Radio SD News - Watertown, SD - The Watertown School District (WSD) and Codington County have formally entered into a combined election agreement for the June 2, 2026, election and all subsequent elections on the first Tuesday in June. This decision standardizes the process for local elections and aligns the district with recent state legislation.

The purpose of the agreement is twofold: to save tax dollars on election costs and to encourage higher voter turnout by consolidating voting days. The Codington County board approved the deal on December 2nd.

Under the terms of the agreement, the County will take the primary role in administering the combined election.

County Responsibilities:

· Primary Conduct: The County will have primary responsibility for election logistics, including joint publications (such as the notice of election and facsimile ballot), hiring and training election workers, absentee voting, polling place setup, and facilitating election day activities.

· Ballot Preparation: The County Auditor will prepare and order the proper number of ballots after the School District certifies the candidates and ballot questions.

· Vote Tabulation: Votes will be counted in the County Auditor’s Office after polls close, with representatives from both the County and School District present to assist.

Shared Costs and Exceptions:

The cost of the combined election will be shared equally between the County and the School District, including joint publications, salaries, and expenses of election boards within the County, jointly used materials (like ballots and pollbooks), and data processing costs.

The School District, however, shall bear the costs of the rural precinct and maintain the right to set up and staff a rural table for the combined election. The County will initially pay most of the costs, and the School District will reimburse the County for its agreed-upon share.

The combined election will streamline the voting process for Codington County residents, but it introduces specific steps for voters living outside the county but within the Watertown School District boundaries.

· Location Change: Voters residing outside Codington County (such as in Hamlin County) will have to travel to Watertown and vote at the designated location—the Codington County Extension Building—for the school board portion of the election.

· Absentee Voting: All absentee (early) ballots for the combined election will be available at the office of the County Auditor. This is a change from past practice, where absentee voting could be done at the school business office. Absentee ballots are available 45 days before the election.

School officials plan to use the district’s social media and website to educate voters on the new logistics as the June 2026 election approaches. The agreement is effective immediately and may be terminated by either entity by notifying the other by January 1st of any given year.