Sioux Falls mayor’s race headed to recount after two-vote margin separates Christine Erickson and Jamie Smith

A Sioux Falls mayoral election in South Dakota is headed for a recount after two candidates were separated by a margin of just two votes in Tuesday’s ballot totals, according to reporting from The Hill.

The initial results showed former state legislator Christine Erickson, a Republican, pulling ahead of state Sen. Jamie Smith, a Democrat, by two votes after ballots were counted on Tuesday evening, The Hill reported.

With the race so close, election officials will conduct a recount rather than declare a winner immediately, the report said, citing the narrow difference between the top two finishers.

Erickson previously served in the South Dakota Legislature and was running for mayor of Sioux Falls, the state’s largest city, while Smith, who currently serves in the state Senate, was also seeking the mayor’s office, The Hill said.

A recount can change totals when ballots are rechecked and disputed ballots are reviewed under election administration procedures, especially in tight races where even a small number of votes can affect the outcome.

The recount process, once underway, is expected to follow the city’s adopted election procedures for how votes are verified, counted, and certified after an initial result that falls within the recount threshold, The Hill reported.

The immediate practical effect for the city and the candidates is that the winner will not be finalized until the recount is completed, extending the period before certification and formal transition steps that would follow the election result, The Hill said.