On June 19, 2024, I observed an audit of ballots for Precincts 12 and 18. I want to commend the young people who participated in the audit for their commitment to the electoral and political process. It is essential that more young individuals engage in such activities with objectivity and without bias.
However, my audit experience raised concerns about the process’s efficiency and clarity. The County Auditor seemed unprepared when providing instructions and guidance on the process. There have been suggestions for a more effective, efficient, and objective hand counting and verifying method for ballots. The process used today was not only inefficient but also lacked clear instructions, failing to consider voter intent. Despite Secretary of State Monae Johnson’s presence, there was no intervention to correct these issues, despite being informed about hand count training in South Dakota.
While vote tabulating machines are accurate according to audit results, an incident highlighted voter disenfranchisement. In one case, a voter marked the circles on the ballot instead of filling them in as instructed, causing the machine not to count their vote. However, during the hand count process, it became clear that this voter intended to vote for a different candidate than what appeared on their ballot. This example underscores how crucial it is to ensure voter intent is accurately reflected in the counting process.
It is vital for voters to pay attention to ballot instructions and complete them correctly to avoid disenfranchisement. Counties must conduct hand counts of ballots efficiently while maintaining objectivity to produce accurate results. While vote tabulating machines may be convenient, they are prone to errors and manipulation, making hand counting a reliable option for producing objective and accurate results. Therefore, we must prioritize accuracy and integrity in our election processes to maintain democratic values in our society.
Sincerely,
Dwight Stadler
Mitchell
