HURON—Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders was the winner of the informal “Dime a Vote” poll taken at the South Dakota Democratic Party building during the recently concluded South Dakota State Fair.
Visitors to the Democratic Party building were invited to register their support for candidates for the Democratic presidential nomination by depositing dimes in pint jars featuring names and photos of the candidates.
Sanders received 42% of the vote to 19% for former Vice President Joe Biden and Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren was third with 13%.
Also receiving support were South Bend, Ind. Mayor Pete Buttigieg with 9%; Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar with 5%; California Sen. Kamala Harris and Montana Gov. Steve Bullock both with 3% and businessman Andrew Yang came in with 2%.
New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker, former Texas Rep. Beto O’Rourke, former San Antonio, Tex. Mayor Julian Castro and New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio received 1%. Coming in with less than 1% were the remaining candidates.
Beadle County Democratic party state committeeman Dennis Olson coordinated the poll. He noted that it was a straw ballot and not a scientific measure of Democratic voter preferences.
“Since participants could deposit more than one dime the poll was probably a measure of intensity of support more than an indication of numbers of supporters,” Olson said.
