Custer County announces small slate for June 2 election; Hot Springs ballot complete

The mayor and city council positions are on the ballot in Edgemont today.

Custer Mayor Gary Lipp will seek reelection for a two-year term challenged by local realtor Jared Carson in a low-key June 2 election. Voters will have only two races in which to make decisions as no petitions were filed to challenge incumbents so none of the four other towns in Custer County will hold elections.

No city council seats will be contested. In Ward I, incumbent Jeannie Fischer is the only person to submit a petition for the two-year term in that ward. It is the same situation in Ward III, where longtime council alderwoman Karen Schleining has submitted a petition and will also run unopposed. In Ward II, no petitions were received, so the mayor and council will have to appoint someone to that seat. Incumbent Angie Kothe did not submit a petition to seek reelection.

Custer School District voters will have four choices for two seats for three-year terms on the Custer School District Board of Education. Current board president Tom Martin will seek reelection and is being challenged by Larry Baker, Denny McConnell and Jeff Prior, all of Custer.

There are also two one-year terms available on the school board, with only two candidates filing a petition. Those two are Alan Webster and Peter Thorp, both of whom are already board members.

Read the story here.

From the Hot Springs Star:

With the deadline passed for turning in nominating petitions, the ballots for the upcoming Hot Springs City Council and Hot Springs School Board are complete. The elections will be held jointly, in a cooperative effort to save money, on June 2, with all voting taking place at the Mueller Civic Center. Polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.

The Chiesman Center for Democracy laments that voter fatigue and disgust threaten democracy in South Dakota.