For immediate release:

Date: 11/1/2020

Subject: South Dakota General Election Races and Ballot Measures

Contact information:  nbpolling@gmail.com

NIELSON BROTHERS POLLING HALLOWEEN WEEK POLITICAL SURVEY RESULTS

NATIONAL AND STATEWIDE RACES

In the recent Nielson Brothers Survey (October 24-28), Republicans hold leads in the major political races surveyed by NBP among likely South Dakota voters.

In the race for president, Republican Donald Trump leads Democrat Joe Biden, 55 percent* to 40 percent, with Libertarian Jo Jorgensen at 3 percent, with 2 percent undecided.

In the South Dakota US Senate race, incumbent Republican Mike Rounds leads Democratic challenger Dan Ahlers, 56 percent to 39 percent, with the remainder undecided..

The Republican incumbent is also ahead in the South Dakota Public Utilities Commission race. Gary Hanson leads Democrat Remi Bald Eagle and Libertarian Devin Saxon, with 50 percent for Hanson, 30 percent for Bald Eagle and 10 percent for Saxon, with 10 percent undecided.

Respondents were also asked whether the United States is going in the right or wrong direction. 36 percent said “right direction,” 46 percent “wrong direction” and 18 percent undecided. 

BALLOT MEASURES

Initiated Measure 26 (legalizes medical marijuana for qualifying patients including minors) has support from 57 percent of respondents and is opposed by 33 percent, with 9 percent undecided. 

Amendment A (legalizes possession, use, transport and distribution of marijuana by twenty one year olds and older) has support from 48 percent of respondents and is opposed by 45 percent with 8 percent undecided. 

Amendment B (authorizes the Legislature to allow sports wagering in Deadwood) has 43 percent of respondents supporting it and 38 percent opposing it, with 19 percent undecided.

OTHER ISSUES

NBP asked: “If the constitutionality of the Affordable Care Act also known as Obama Care comes before the Supreme Court do you want it upheld or repealed?” 47 percent want it repealed, with 39 percent want it upheld, and 14 percent undecided.

Finally, NBP asked:  “Of the last four US presidents which would you rate as the best?” Donald Trump leads with 45 percent calling him the best of the last four presidents. Barack Obama comes in second with 33 percent. George W. Bush is third with 14 percent, and William Clinton is fourth with 9 percent. 

QUESTIONS, ANSWERS (% ROUNDED), RESPONSE NUMBERS,MARGINS OF ERROR

Is South Dakota going in the right or wrong direction?

Right direction 36%

Wrong direction 46

Undecided 18

484 responses,  4.45 percent margin of error

For US President would you vote for Republican Donald Trump, Libertarian Jo Jorgensen, or Democrat Joe Biden?

Trump 55%

Jorgensen   3

Biden 40

Undecided   2

484 responses,  4.45 percent margin of error

For US Senate would you vote for Republican Mike Rounds or Democrat Dan Ahlers?

Rounds 56%

Ahlers 39

Undecided   5

479 responses,  4.48 percent margin of error

For Public Utilities Commissioner would you vote for Republican Gary Hanson, Libertarian Devin Saxon, or Democrat Remi Bald Eagle?

Hanson 50%

Saxon 10

Bald Eagle 30

Undecided 10

469 responses, 4.52  percent margin of error

Initiated Measure 26 would legalize medical marijuana for qualifying patients including minors. It legalizes marijuana testing manufacturing and cultivation facilities, and dispensaries. How do you plan to vote? 

For 57%

Against 33

Undecided   9

462 responses, 4.61 percent margin of error

Constitutional Amendment A legalizes possession, use, transport, and distribution of marijuana by twenty one year olds and older.  It imposes a 15 percent tax on marijuana to cover regulatory costs with the remainder going to public schools and the State’s general fund. How do you plan to vote?

For 48%

Against 45

Undecided   8

455 responses, 4.59.  percent margin of error

Constitutional Amendment B authorizes the Legislature to allow sports wagering in Deadwood. How do you plan to vote?

For 43%

Against 38

Undecided 19

447 responses, 4.63  percent margin of error

If the constitutionality of the Affordable Care Act also known as Obama Care comes before the Supreme Court do you want it upheld or repealed?

Upheld 39%

Repealed 47

Undecided 14

440 responses, 4.67  percent margin of error

Of the last four US presidents which would you rate as the best?” 

Donald Trump 45%

Barack Obama 33

George W. Bush 14

William Clinton   9

367 responses, 5.11  percent margin of error

NBP surveyed a random selection of South Dakota registered voters October 24-28, 2020. 

For more information contact NBP at nbpolling@gmail.com.

*Numbers are rounded to the nearest whole number.

By l3wis

8 thoughts on “Survey: Nielson Brothers Polling (NBP) Statewide Survey, October 24-28, 2020”
  1. 46% think sd is going in the wrong direction vs 36% in the right direction, yet people are still going to vote to keep going in the wrong direction. why?

  2. Trump as an incumbent Republican president in South Dakota at 55% means he loses nationally.

    Rounds at 56% is not surprising at all. He has always been playing in a league that he doesn’t belong in. An Incumbent Republican senator running for his second term in SD should be at least 65% plus.

    The last weak Republican incumbent senator in the state, Jim Abdnor, lost to Daschle in ’86, while the other two in modern times, Pressler and Thune won handily for a second term. Well, Pressler got 74% and Thune didn’t even have an opponent.

    Give Dan Ahlers more money and there could have been a race.

    Rounds is nothing but a by-product of a once Kirby/Barnett feud.

    The issue now is: Who do we run against Thune? We need a candidate who is funded and a candidate who will take the issues to Thune.

    Ahlers was a gentleman in this race, but too nice. Dan is a hero to me in this race, though, because, although he’s a conservative Democrat, he thankfully did not run with the type of obnoxious ads which Sutton and Bjorkman did in ’18.

  3. The sheep don’t want to die, they are happy in the pasture but just like the leaderless ships we call South Dakota and Sioux Falls they will march into the slaughter house by following the one they seem to trust.

    South Dakotans are sheeple who year after year march into the slaughter house of Republican corruption because it is all they know.

  4. My ballot will reflect my displeasure with current direction of the state.
    Voting straight ‘D’ for the state legislative races in 13.
    The incumbent Republican State Senator (Kolbeck) couldn’t muster the effort to update his website from the 2018 election. (AND announced his re-election [not his bid for re-election] with a press release from September 2018 … didn’t even bother to refresh/remove that presumptuous entry).
    Sue Peterson has used her position on the Gov’t Operations and Audit Committee to advance the party deeper into contentious social policy issues (e.g. transgender policies of the SDHSAA).
    We have bigger issues with which to concern ourselves.

  5. It will be interesting to see if Kolbeck’s ’72 Ford pick-up will keep going. My guess is that it’s nothing but a trailer queen.

  6. LOL!
    The Repblican candidate for District 13 House must have gained word of my ballot intentions. This afternoon, his campaign dropped a robocall message reminding me to “vote tommorrow”.
    Oldest trick in the book!

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