Day, South Dakota — Presidential Election Results
Day, South Dakota has voted Republican in 4 of the last 7 presidential elections on record (2000–2024). It most recently flipped to Republican in 2016. In 2024, it was 0.6 pts more Rep. than South Dakota overall.
Jump to year: 2000 · 2004 · 2008 · 2012 · 2016 · 2020 · 2024
Full Election History, 2000–2024
| Year | Winner | Party | Votes | Vote Share | Margin | Total Votes Cast | Swing | Vs. South Dakota |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | George W. Bush | Republican | 1,623 | 50.8% | 4.1 pts (131 votes) | 3,197 | — | 19.0 pts more Dem. |
| 2004 | John Kerry | Democratic | 1,817 | 51.3% | 4.1 pts (146 votes) | 3,540 | +8.4 pts | 26.0 pts more Dem. |
| 2008 | Barack Obama | Democratic | 1,785 | 56.2% | 13.0 pts (413 votes) | 3,178 | +8.9 pts | 21.7 pts more Dem. |
| 2012 | Barack Obama | Democratic | 1,497 | 52.1% | 6.2 pts (177 votes) | 2,873 | -6.8 pts | 24.7 pts more Dem. |
| 2016 | Donald Trump | Republican | 1,627 | 59.2% | 23.8 pts (653 votes) | 2,747 | -31.4 pts | 6.8 pts more Dem. |
| 2020 | Donald J Trump | Republican | 1,869 | 63.1% | 27.6 pts (817 votes) | 2,964 | -2.9 pts | 1.1 pts more Rep. |
| 2024 | Donald J Trump | Republican | 1,876 | 64.0% | 29.9 pts (876 votes) | 2,932 | -2.5 pts | 0.6 pts more Rep. |
Population Context
Total Census Bureau population estimate for the county that year, and recorded votes as a share of that total population. This is a population-based figure, not a turnout rate against eligible or registered voters, which this site does not calculate.
| Year | County Population | Votes Cast (% of Population) |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 6,226 | 51.3% of population |
| 2004 | 5,879 | 60.2% of population |
| 2008 | 5,638 | 56.4% of population |
| 2012 | 5,592 | 51.4% of population |
| 2016 | 5,509 | 49.9% of population |
| 2020 | 5,436 | 54.5% of population |
| 2024 | 5,408 | 54.2% of population |
Trend
Between 2000 and 2024, the two-party presidential margin in Day shifted 26.3 points toward the Republican candidate, based on recorded county returns. This reflects the vote totals in this dataset only; no claim is made here about the causes of that shift.
Margin Over Time
Democratic candidate's margin (percentage points, two-party vote share). Positive values favor the Democratic candidate; negative values favor the Republican candidate.
Bellwether Status
Day has matched the national popular winner in 5 of the last 7 presidential elections (71%), and South Dakota's own statewide winner in 4 of 7 (57%). Compare every county on the bellwether counties page.
Related Pages
Other South Dakota Counties
Frequently Asked Questions
How has Day voted in presidential elections since 2000?
Since 2000, Day has voted Democratic in 3 of 7 recorded presidential elections and Republican in 4 of 7, based on county-level returns through 2024.
What was the closest presidential election in Day?
Day's closest recorded margin was in 2004, when John Kerry (Democratic) won by 4.2 points (146 votes) out of 3,540 total votes cast.
Has Day ever flipped between parties?
Yes. Day changed which party won the county in: 2004, 2016, based on the 2000-2024 record on this page.
What is the largest presidential election margin recorded in Day?
The widest margin on record for Day was in 2024, when Donald J Trump (Republican) won by 30.5 points.
How many votes were cast in Day relative to its population?
In 2024, 2,932 votes were recorded in Day against a total population of 5,408 (54.2% of the total population). This is a population-based figure, not a turnout rate against eligible or registered voters, which this site does not calculate.
Is Day a presidential bellwether county?
Day has matched the national popular winner in 5 of the last 7 presidential elections (71%), and South Dakota's own statewide winner in 4 of 7 (57%).