# 1976 United States presidential election in South Dakota

"none" is preferred when the title is sufficiently descriptive; see [[WP:SDNONE]]
Elections in South Dakota :
Federal government
Presidential elections
1892
1896
1900
1904
1908
1912
1916
1920
1924
1928
1932
1936
1940
1944
1948
1952
1956
1960
1964
1968
1972
1976
1980
1984
1988
1992
1996
2000
2004
2008
2012
2016
2020
2024
Presidential primaries
Democratic
2004
2008
2016
2020
2024
Republican
2008
2016
2024
U.S. Senate elections
1889
1891
1894
1897
1901
1903
1903 sp
1907
1909
1913
1914
1918
1920
1924
1926
1930
1932
1936
1938
1938 sp
1942
1944
1948
1950
1954
1956
1960
1962
1966
1968
1972
1974
1978
1980
1984
1986
1990
1992
1996
1998
2002
2004
2008
2010
2014
2016
2020
2022
2026
U.S. House elections
1889
1890
1891
AL sp
1892
1894
1896
1898
1900
1902
1904
1906
1908
AL sp
1910
1912
1914
1916
1918
1920
1922
1924
1926
1928
1930
1932
1934
1936
1938
1940
1942
1944
1946
1948
1950
1952
1954
1956
1958
1960
1962
1964
1966
1968
1970
1972
1974
1976
1978
1980
1982
1984
1986
1988
1990
1992
1994
1996
1998
2000
2002
2004
AL sp
2006
2008
2010
2012
2014
2016
2018
2020
2022
2024 :
State government
General elections
2010
2014
2018
2020
2022
Gubernatorial elections
1889
1890
1892
1894
1896
1898
1900
1902
1904
1906
1908
1910
1912
1914
1916
1918
1920
1922
1924
1926
1928
1930
1932
1934
1936
1938
1940
1942
1944
1946
1948
1950
1952
1954
1956
1958
1960
1962
1964
1966
1968
1970
1972
1974
1978
1982
1986
1990
1994
1998
2002
2006
2010
2014
2018
2022
Secretary of State elections
2022
Attorney General elections
2018
2022
Senate elections
2020
2022
House of Representatives elections
2020
2022 :
Ballot measures
2006
Amendment C
2008
Measure 9
Measure 10
2020
Amendment A
Measure 26
2024
Amendment E
Amendment G
Amendment H :
Sioux Falls
City elections
2010
2012
2014
2016
2018
2020
2022
2024
Mayoral elections
1974
1978
1982
1986
1990
1994
1998
2002
2006
2010
2014
2018
2022 :
Rapid City
City elections
2020
2022
2024
2026
Mayoral elections
2022 :
Pierre
City elections
2020
2022
2024
2026
Mayoral elections
2022 :
vte :
The 1976 United States presidential election in South Dakota was held on November 2, 1976 as part of the 1976 United States presidential election. Incumbent President Gerald Ford won the state of South Dakota, defeating Democratic candidate Jimmy Carter by a slim margin of 1.48%. Ford won all four of the state's electoral votes, but lost the national election to Carter. This is the closest that a Democrat presidential nominee has come to carrying South Dakota since 1964.
South Dakota weighed in as 4 points more Republican than the national average. As of the 2024 presidential election, this is the last election in which Codington County, Edmunds County, Faulk County, Gregory County, and McCook County voted for a Democratic presidential candidate. This is also the last time a Democrat won any of South Dakota's congressional districts, namely the 1st, as both it and the 2nd would be eliminated after the 1980 census.

## Results

| Presidential Candidate | Running Mate | Party | Electoral Vote (EV) | Popular Vote (PV) | Popular Vote (PV) |
| Gerald Ford of Michigan (incumbent) | Bob Dole | Republican | 4 | 151,505 | 50.39% |
| Jimmy Carter | Walter Mondale | Democratic | 0 | 147,068 | 48.91% |
| Roger MacBride | David Bergland | Independent | 0 | 1,619 | 0.54% |
| Gus Hall | Jarvis Tyner | Independent | 0 | 318 | 0.11% |
| Peter Camejo | Willie Mae Reid | Independent | 0 | 168 | 0.06% |

### Results by county

| County | Gerald Ford Republican | Gerald Ford Republican | Jimmy Carter Democratic | Jimmy Carter Democratic | Roger MacBride Independent | Roger MacBride Independent | Gus Hall Independent | Gus Hall Independent | Peter Camejo Independent | Peter Camejo Independent | Margin | Margin | Total votes cast |
| County | # | % | # | % | # | % | # | % | # | % | # | % | Total votes cast |
| Aurora | 831 | 39.40% | 1,269 | 60.17% | 4 | 0.19% | 5 | 0.24% | 0 | 0.00% | -438 | -20.77% | 2,109 |
| Beadle | 4,758 | 49.22% | 4,846 | 50.13% | 38 | 0.39% | 18 | 0.19% | 6 | 0.06% | -88 | -0.91% | 9,666 |
| Bennett | 610 | 54.91% | 481 | 43.29% | 15 | 1.35% | 1 | 0.09% | 4 | 0.36% | 129 | 11.62% | 1,111 |
| Bon Homme | 1,897 | 46.58% | 2,154 | 52.88% | 12 | 0.29% | 10 | 0.25% | 0 | 0.00% | -257 | -6.30% | 4,073 |
| Brookings | 5,278 | 52.64% | 4,685 | 46.73% | 40 | 0.40% | 14 | 0.14% | 9 | 0.09% | 593 | 5.91% | 10,026 |
| Brown | 7,609 | 45.75% | 8,888 | 53.44% | 91 | 0.55% | 29 | 0.17% | 16 | 0.10% | -1,279 | -7.69% | 16,633 |
| Brule | 1,175 | 43.15% | 1,534 | 56.33% | 6 | 0.22% | 5 | 0.18% | 3 | 0.11% | -359 | -13.18% | 2,723 |
| Buffalo | 194 | 44.70% | 240 | 55.30% | 0 | 0.00% | 0 | 0.00% | 0 | 0.00% | -46 | -10.60% | 434 |
| Butte | 2,055 | 59.19% | 1,366 | 39.34% | 43 | 1.24% | 6 | 0.17% | 2 | 0.06% | 689 | 19.85% | 3,472 |
| Campbell | 897 | 64.49% | 489 | 35.15% | 3 | 0.22% | 2 | 0.14% | 0 | 0.00% | 408 | 29.34% | 1,391 |
| Charles Mix | 1,779 | 40.49% | 2,593 | 59.01% | 12 | 0.27% | 9 | 0.20% | 1 | 0.02% | -814 | -18.52% | 4,394 |
| Clark | 1,449 | 51.06% | 1,376 | 48.48% | 7 | 0.25% | 4 | 0.14% | 2 | 0.07% | 73 | 2.58% | 2,838 |
| Clay | 2,647 | 49.93% | 2,593 | 48.92% | 41 | 0.77% | 11 | 0.21% | 9 | 0.17% | 54 | 1.01% | 5,301 |
| Codington | 4,504 | 48.89% | 4,680 | 50.80% | 19 | 0.21% | 7 | 0.08% | 3 | 0.03% | -176 | -1.91% | 9,213 |
| Corson | 846 | 46.41% | 967 | 53.04% | 9 | 0.49% | 1 | 0.05% | 0 | 0.00% | -121 | -6.63% | 1,823 |
| Custer | 1,373 | 57.09% | 995 | 41.37% | 34 | 1.41% | 2 | 0.08% | 1 | 0.04% | 378 | 15.72% | 2,405 |
| Davison | 3,688 | 44.71% | 4,510 | 54.68% | 35 | 0.42% | 13 | 0.16% | 2 | 0.02% | -822 | -9.97% | 8,248 |
| Day | 1,617 | 37.98% | 2,610 | 61.31% | 16 | 0.38% | 10 | 0.23% | 4 | 0.09% | -993 | -23.33% | 4,257 |
| Deuel | 1,177 | 44.38% | 1,465 | 55.24% | 6 | 0.23% | 2 | 0.08% | 2 | 0.08% | -288 | -10.86% | 2,652 |
| Dewey | 820 | 53.46% | 706 | 46.02% | 7 | 0.46% | 1 | 0.07% | 0 | 0.00% | 114 | 7.44% | 1,534 |
| Douglas | 1,315 | 57.30% | 975 | 42.48% | 4 | 0.17% | 1 | 0.04% | 0 | 0.00% | 340 | 14.82% | 2,295 |
| Edmunds | 1,294 | 44.13% | 1,629 | 55.56% | 3 | 0.10% | 6 | 0.20% | 0 | 0.00% | -335 | -11.43% | 2,932 |
| Fall River | 2,046 | 56.60% | 1,537 | 42.52% | 28 | 0.77% | 3 | 0.08% | 1 | 0.03% | 509 | 14.08% | 3,615 |
| Faulk | 868 | 44.81% | 1,063 | 54.88% | 4 | 0.21% | 2 | 0.10% | 0 | 0.00% | -195 | -10.07% | 1,937 |
| Grant | 2,051 | 45.95% | 2,398 | 53.72% | 11 | 0.25% | 3 | 0.07% | 1 | 0.02% | -347 | -7.77% | 4,464 |
| Gregory | 1,475 | 46.90% | 1,658 | 52.72% | 12 | 0.38% | 0 | 0.00% | 0 | 0.00% | -183 | -5.82% | 3,145 |
| Haakon | 812 | 61.89% | 477 | 36.36% | 20 | 1.52% | 2 | 0.15% | 1 | 0.08% | 335 | 25.53% | 1,312 |
| Hamlin | 1,452 | 50.66% | 1,402 | 48.92% | 8 | 0.28% | 3 | 0.10% | 1 | 0.03% | 50 | 1.74% | 2,866 |
| Hand | 1,510 | 50.43% | 1,477 | 49.33% | 3 | 0.10% | 3 | 0.10% | 1 | 0.03% | 33 | 1.10% | 2,994 |
| Hanson | 693 | 40.60% | 1,005 | 58.88% | 5 | 0.29% | 4 | 0.23% | 0 | 0.00% | -312 | -18.28% | 1,707 |
| Harding | 470 | 49.74% | 459 | 48.57% | 16 | 1.69% | 0 | 0.00% | 0 | 0.00% | 11 | 1.17% | 945 |
| Hughes | 3,997 | 61.15% | 2,506 | 38.34% | 17 | 0.26% | 7 | 0.11% | 9 | 0.14% | 1,491 | 22.81% | 6,536 |
| Hutchinson | 2,822 | 57.52% | 2,062 | 42.03% | 14 | 0.29% | 7 | 0.14% | 1 | 0.02% | 760 | 15.49% | 4,906 |
| Hyde | 687 | 54.39% | 572 | 45.29% | 2 | 0.16% | 1 | 0.08% | 1 | 0.08% | 115 | 9.10% | 1,263 |
| Jackson | 532 | 61.50% | 313 | 36.18% | 16 | 1.85% | 2 | 0.23% | 2 | 0.23% | 219 | 25.32% | 865 |
| Jerauld | 821 | 49.19% | 845 | 50.63% | 2 | 0.12% | 1 | 0.06% | 0 | 0.00% | -24 | -1.44% | 1,669 |
| Jones | 515 | 57.87% | 374 | 42.02% | 1 | 0.11% | 0 | 0.00% | 0 | 0.00% | 141 | 15.85% | 890 |
| Kingsbury | 1,844 | 50.98% | 1,762 | 48.71% | 11 | 0.30% | 0 | 0.00% | 0 | 0.00% | 82 | 2.27% | 3,617 |
| Lake | 2,530 | 46.20% | 2,930 | 53.51% | 10 | 0.18% | 5 | 0.09% | 1 | 0.02% | -400 | -7.31% | 5,476 |
| Lawrence | 4,206 | 56.46% | 3,102 | 41.64% | 129 | 1.73% | 9 | 0.12% | 3 | 0.04% | 1,104 | 14.82% | 7,449 |
| Lincoln | 3,105 | 51.04% | 2,957 | 48.60% | 19 | 0.31% | 1 | 0.02% | 2 | 0.03% | 148 | 2.44% | 6,084 |
| Lyman | 892 | 51.29% | 831 | 47.79% | 13 | 0.75% | 1 | 0.06% | 2 | 0.12% | 61 | 3.50% | 1,739 |
| Marshall | 1,233 | 41.56% | 1,721 | 58.00% | 11 | 0.37% | 2 | 0.07% | 0 | 0.00% | -488 | -16.44% | 2,967 |
| McCook | 1,744 | 48.74% | 1,822 | 50.92% | 11 | 0.31% | 1 | 0.03% | 0 | 0.00% | -78 | -2.18% | 3,578 |
| McPherson | 1,662 | 70.22% | 693 | 29.28% | 6 | 0.25% | 6 | 0.25% | 0 | 0.00% | 969 | 40.94% | 2,367 |
| Meade | 3,096 | 54.41% | 2,478 | 43.55% | 106 | 1.86% | 2 | 0.04% | 8 | 0.14% | 618 | 10.86% | 5,690 |
| Mellette | 508 | 53.53% | 429 | 45.21% | 10 | 1.05% | 2 | 0.21% | 0 | 0.00% | 79 | 8.32% | 949 |
| Miner | 839 | 39.21% | 1,289 | 60.23% | 9 | 0.42% | 1 | 0.05% | 2 | 0.09% | -450 | -21.02% | 2,140 |
| Minnehaha | 23,286 | 51.12% | 22,068 | 48.44% | 151 | 0.33% | 26 | 0.06% | 25 | 0.05% | 1,218 | 2.68% | 45,556 |
| Moody | 1,475 | 43.03% | 1,942 | 56.65% | 8 | 0.23% | 2 | 0.06% | 1 | 0.03% | -467 | -13.62% | 3,428 |
| Pennington | 13,352 | 56.34% | 10,058 | 42.44% | 273 | 1.15% | 5 | 0.02% | 11 | 0.05% | 3,294 | 13.90% | 23,699 |
| Perkins | 1,298 | 50.08% | 1,262 | 48.69% | 29 | 1.12% | 1 | 0.04% | 2 | 0.08% | 36 | 1.39% | 2,592 |
| Potter | 1,136 | 55.36% | 908 | 44.25% | 6 | 0.29% | 1 | 0.05% | 1 | 0.05% | 228 | 11.11% | 2,052 |
| Roberts | 1,915 | 39.73% | 2,890 | 59.96% | 9 | 0.19% | 4 | 0.08% | 2 | 0.04% | -975 | -20.23% | 4,820 |
| Sanborn | 881 | 46.08% | 1,025 | 53.61% | 5 | 0.26% | 1 | 0.05% | 0 | 0.00% | -144 | -7.53% | 1,912 |
| Shannon | 301 | 27.84% | 756 | 69.94% | 17 | 1.57% | 5 | 0.46% | 2 | 0.19% | -455 | -42.10% | 1,081 |
| Spink | 2,003 | 42.81% | 2,650 | 56.64% | 17 | 0.36% | 6 | 0.13% | 3 | 0.06% | -647 | -13.83% | 4,679 |
| Stanley | 637 | 53.57% | 548 | 46.09% | 3 | 0.25% | 1 | 0.08% | 0 | 0.00% | 89 | 7.48% | 1,189 |
| Sully | 630 | 55.31% | 505 | 44.34% | 4 | 0.35% | 0 | 0.00% | 0 | 0.00% | 125 | 10.97% | 1,139 |
| Todd | 583 | 40.66% | 826 | 57.60% | 17 | 1.19% | 4 | 0.28% | 4 | 0.28% | -243 | -16.94% | 1,434 |
| Tripp | 1,980 | 51.87% | 1,822 | 47.73% | 8 | 0.21% | 5 | 0.13% | 2 | 0.05% | 158 | 4.14% | 3,817 |
| Turner | 2,694 | 58.34% | 1,906 | 41.27% | 16 | 0.35% | 2 | 0.04% | 0 | 0.00% | 788 | 17.07% | 4,618 |
| Union | 2,297 | 47.26% | 2,540 | 52.26% | 21 | 0.43% | 2 | 0.04% | 0 | 0.00% | -243 | -5.00% | 4,860 |
| Walworth | 2,187 | 58.66% | 1,516 | 40.67% | 19 | 0.51% | 4 | 0.11% | 2 | 0.05% | 671 | 17.99% | 3,728 |
| Washabaugh | 229 | 43.54% | 276 | 52.47% | 17 | 3.23% | 4 | 0.76% | 0 | 0.00% | -47 | -8.93% | 526 |
| Yankton | 4,029 | 49.82% | 3,987 | 49.30% | 49 | 0.61% | 16 | 0.20% | 6 | 0.07% | 42 | 0.52% | 8,087 |
| Ziebach | 369 | 48.49% | 370 | 48.62% | 15 | 1.97% | 5 | 0.66% | 2 | 0.26% | -1 | -0.13% | 761 |
| Totals | 151,505 | 50.39% | 147,068 | 48.91% | 1,619 | 0.54% | 318 | 0.11% | 168 | 0.06% | 4,437 | 1.48% | 300,678 |

#### Counties that flipped from Democratic to Republican

* Clay

#### Counties that flipped from Republican to Democratic

* Beadle
* Codington
* Corson
* Faulk
* Grant
* Gregory
* Jerauld
* Lake
* Spink
* Washabaugh
* Ziebach