In this installment of our occasional series "Every Vote Counts," Mainstreet Radio’s Cara Hetland reports on South Dakota's close race for the U.S. Senate. The margin for a victory could be just a few hundred votes, and Native American votes could be the deciding factor.

In 2002, Native American votes decided a U.S. Senate race in South Dakota. The Indian vote helped Democrat Tim Johnson beat former Republican Congressman John Thune. In June, the Indian vote secured Democrat Stephanie Herseth's victory in a special election for the U.S. House of Representatives. Senator Tom Daschle and his Republican challenger John Thune are both looking at Native Americans to give them a victory in 2004 election.