After failing to garner enough public support, attempts to remove technology from South Dakota elections have also faced defeat in court. A recent ruling came after voters rejected a proposed ballot measure in the November election that sought to ban electronic voting machines and require hand-counted paper ballots.
The lawsuit challenging the initiative was filed by Secretary of State Steve Barnett, who argued that the measure was unconstitutional and would have caused significant disruption to the state’s election process. The judge ultimately agreed with Barnett and struck down the initiative, noting that it would have been impossible to implement in time for the 2022 elections.
Proponents of the measure, led by the South Dakota Election Technology Task Force, argued that electronic voting machines are vulnerable to hacking and tampering, and that hand-counted paper ballots are a more secure and transparent way to conduct elections. They also cited concerns about the validity and security of election results as a driving force behind their efforts.
Despite the ruling, supporters of the initiative have vowed to continue their fight to remove technology from South Dakota elections. They plan to appeal the decision and continue to push for changes to the state’s election system.
The defeat of the measure highlights the ongoing debate over the role of technology in elections and the challenges of balancing security concerns with the need for efficient and accurate voting systems. As South Dakota looks ahead to the 2022 elections, the issue of election technology is sure to remain a topic of discussion and debate.
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