A haunted barn, and other ways we're getting out the vote

On Friday night, I drove out to a barn near Crooks to get scared about democracy.

It was called "The Town That Went Silent." You walk into a town where people stopped speaking up, and eventually lost their voices altogether.

A white barn at the Kelly Family Homestead near Crooks at sunset, with pumpkins by the door

The barn at the Kelly Family Homestead has been standing since 1896.

A town with no voices

Inside, the barn became the "City of Freedom." Every station was filled with faceless, voiceless residents. Missing posters with the faces worn away. Notices taped to the beams: "Your voice is no longer required." "Silence is consent." "All decisions will be made on your behalf by authorized personnel."

Weathered notices and missing posters on a barn wall, reading "Your voice is no longer required" and "Silence is consent"

Actors played the people who run the town. There was a Department of Unclaimed Voices, with boxes of "public input archived" stacked by the door. A "public meeting" was wrapped shut in red tape, with masked figures in the empty chairs.

A desk under a sign reading "Department of Unclaimed Voices," with two actors and boxes labeled "Unclaimed A-F" and "Public input archived"

Red tape crisscrossing a staged public meeting under a sign reading "City of Freedom"

It was a little dark and a little funny. And it hit close to home. A public meeting nobody can get into is a scary thought for anyone who has ever stood up at one.

Then, the light

The other half of the barn felt completely different. There was space to sit and talk, with a warm spread of cider, coffee and treats. The signs set the tone: "Halloween candy: trick or treat... then go vote."

A welcome sign over a table of Chex mix and candy, with notes like "Brownies before ballots? Why not both"

That was the whole idea. On the way out, you could check your registration on the spot, pull up your own ballot and read what the four amendments actually say. Local groups were there to talk. Organizers say they invited candidates from every party.

"Most people see their ballot for the first time while standing in the booth holding it," organizer Amanda Kendall of Let Sioux Falls Vote told KELOLAND. "We want to connect people to the resources to make educated decisions."

A labor of love

This was put together by neighbors. Amanda Kendall and Jordan Deffenbaugh helped organize it, with the Kelly Family Homestead, Full Circle Book Co-op, Let Sioux Falls Vote and Sioux Falls Underground. Organizers say it was not affiliated with any candidate, campaign or party.

Volunteers built the sets, painted the signs, played the characters and ran the parking. People gave their time, their talents and their treasure to make it happen. You could feel it.

Organizer Jordan Deffenbaugh in an orange safety vest, holding a coffee mug in the barn's gathering space, with a "Which district are you in?" poster on the wall

Organizer Jordan Deffenbaugh in the gathering space. That's our Election Guide poster on the wall to the left.

Why a haunted house? "People are tired," the organizers wrote. They wanted to "get neighbors in a room, build something fun together, and let the voting part come from a place of light instead of dread."

I love that. And you don't need a haunted barn to do it. Here are the easiest ways to get yourself, and someone else, ready for Nov. 3.

Register by Monday

The last day to register is Monday, Oct. 19. South Dakota has no same-day registration. You can't register online either. That's why the haunt was on Oct. 16.

Check your registration on the Secretary of State's Voter Information Portal. It takes about a minute.
Moved since the last election? Update your address by Monday too.
Registering for the first time? You now need proof of U.S. citizenship, like a newer S.D. driver's license marked as a citizen, a passport or a birth certificate copy.

Get a free ride to vote early

Sioux Area Metro is offering free bus and paratransit rides to vote early, now through Nov. 2.

On the bus: tell your driver you're going to vote. Ride to the stop nearest the County Administration Building, 415 N. Dakota Ave.
Paratransit: when you book, say you want a free ride to vote early.
On Election Day: Lyft code VOTE26 takes 50% off one ride to your polling place on Nov. 3, up to $10.

See your ballot before the booth

Amanda's line stuck with me. Most of us see our ballot for the first time in the booth.

You don't have to. Our Election Guide poster was even hanging on the barn wall. The Sioux Falls General Election Guide shows every race on your ballot by district, every candidate in ballot order, and the four amendments in plain words. It's nonpartisan. You make the call.

In another language? South Dakota Voices for Peace translated the District 15 sample ballot into Spanish, Nepali, Arabic, Haitian Creole and Amharic.
Want to share it offline? You can download and print the guide poster for your fridge, break room or bulletin board.

Pick your way

Some people turn a barn into a haunted house. Some people offer a ride. Some people text a friend, "Hey, are you registered?"

All of it counts. Pick one thing this week, and bring someone with you.

It's always been our city, and now is our moment. Let's rise together.

Photos by Rising Together.

Sources

"The Town That Went Silent" event page, Kelly Family Homestead, Full Circle Book Co-op, Let Sioux Falls Vote and Sioux Falls Underground
Crooks haunted barn aims to encourage voter turnout, KELOLAND News, 2026
Programs: free rides to vote early, Sioux Area Metro
Voter Information Portal, S.D. Secretary of State
2026 sample ballots in other languages, South Dakota Voices for Peace