Poll watcher Rick Weible observes the counting of ballots during the Sioux Falls city and school board election on April 9, 2024. (Makenzie Huber/South Dakota Searchlight)
The South Dakota Board of Elections did not approve petitions Wednesday from activists who want to move the state toward hand-counting ballots.
A Republican state Senate candidate, Rick Weible, of Elkton, petitioned the board for declaratory rulings. The petitions asked the board to take several actions, including deeming certain election tabulating software non-compliant with state law and decertifying its use. The board did not grant the requests.
Board member Scott McGregor said afterward that Weible and his supporters routinely attend board meetings to pursue their agenda.
“It’s all about going back to hand-counting our elections,” McGregor said.
He added that Weible and others in attendance are misguided, saying the appointed board serves an administrative function and does not make law.
“They need to talk to the Legislature,” McGregor said.
During the meeting, Weible and his group lashed out at Republican Secretary of State Monae Johnson, the state’s top elections official. Weible helped Johnson win the office, and while she was campaigning, she repeatedly declined to say whether she accepted the results of the 2020 presidential election.
Attendees at Wednesday’s meeting accused Johnson of betraying them since she won her office. She did not respond.
Meanwhile, three South Dakota counties will ask voters Tuesday if they should ban the use of tabulator machines in future local elections. Each of the measures was petitioned onto local ballots by members and supporters of a group called South Dakota Canvassing, of which Weible is a member.
If the measures pass, the auditor’s offices in each county would have to hand-count ballots in the Nov. 5 general election and thereafter. The votes are in Gregory, Haakon and Tripp Counties.
This article first appeared in the South Dakota Searchlight, a sister site of the Nebraska Examiner in the States Newsroom network.
The post Activists fail to convince SD Board of Elections to move toward hand-counting appeared first on Nebraska Examiner.
Amanda Smith is a dedicated U.S. correspondent with a passion for uncovering the stories that shape the nation. With a background in political science, she provides in-depth analysis and insightful commentary on domestic affairs, ensuring readers are well-informed about the latest developments across the United States.
