PIERRE, (KCCR) — County Commission races and ballot initiatives to end use of ballot counting machines were among the issues central South Dakota addressed during this week’s primary election. Tod Kroeplin won a seat on the Hyde County Commission. Kroeplin defeated Michael Cowan 23 to 17 or 57-percent to 42-percent. A recount could be possible in Jones County as Steven Iwan barely beat Rodney Mann by a single vote, 118 to 117 with both getting 50-percent of the vote. In Mellette County Vernon Brown snuck past Dan Valburg 48 to 46 which has not been flagged by the Secretary of States office for a recount. Tonya Tanner won a seat on the Potter County Commission with 74-66 victory over John Wager. Tanner pulled 53-percent of the vote to 47-percent for Wager. Joyce Kartak earned a seat on the Tripp County Commission beating Jeremy Clay 139 to 97 with 59-percent of the vote. Tripp County voters also said no to an initiated measure to define the use of automatic tabulators in the county. The measure was defeated 734 to 553. Haakon County voters also defeated a measure to prohibit using vote counting equipment in elections there. That measure failed 276 to 177.
