UNDATED – South Dakota did not record a single case of voter fraud or other election-related crimes tied to the use of ballot drop boxes in 2020 or 2022, according to a News Watch survey that drew responses from 58 of 66 counties, including 29 of the top 30 by population. Here’s South Dakota News Watch reporter Stu Whitney with more:
House Bill 1165, which modified absentee voting rules and banned the use of unmonitored drop boxes in South Dakota, was signed by Gov. Kristi Noem on March 21, one of 10 election-related bills hailed by Republican leaders as making state elections a model for integrity and access.
But the premise used to outlaw the use of drop boxes – that they are vulnerable to fraud and used to rig electoral outcomes – is false, according to the News Watch survey of county auditors.
Furthermore, most auditors said they oppose the ban because it will make it harder, not easier, for voters to participate in the democratic process.
South Dakota did not record a single case of voter fraud or other election-related crimes tied to the use of ballot drop boxes in 2020 or 2022, according to the survey that drew responses from 58 of 66 counties, including 29 of the top 30 by population.
Of the 58 respondents, 33 (57%) reported using drop boxes as receptacles for absentee ballots in 2020 or 2022 or both, a practice that became more common during the COVID-19 pandemic. Most of the boxes were connected to county buildings and were available to voters during non-business hours, which would not be allowed under the new law.
“I think we’re trying to correct a problem that doesn’t exist,” said Harding County Auditor Kathy Glines, who took office in 1991 and was part of a group of auditors who testified in Pierre.
“The legislators we worked with were very open and receptive to input we had. But there was also outlying pressure to correct issues that we haven’t had problems with.”
That pressure has been felt by election officials across the country, spurred by former President Donald Trump’s refusal to concede the 2020 election despite no evidence of widespread electoral fraud as well as concerns raised by some Republicans about the broadening of absentee or early voting during the pandemic.
