Maybe I’m the only one, but reading this account of how Minnehaha county Auditor Leah Anderson seemingly ambushed a precinct superintendent in conjunction with election conspiracy group head Jessica Pollema, it throws up some red flags as to how closely the two walk hand-in-hand on election issues:
“I just want to give you a heads up about something,” Anderson said in a voicemail to Mikkelsen, which has been obtained by the Argus Leader. “We’re going to be headed over there, and we need your precinct board to, um, work on an issue.”
And…
Pollema and Anderson were seen talking together to some degree: An Argus Leader reporter was speaking with Pollema while ballots were being counted, when Anderson interrupted to ask if the canvassing group leader knew whether some or all of the challenged ballots were tossed. Anderson later handed Pollema, a citizen, a stack of unknown documents, as the county auditor was wrapping up the ballot count for the night.
It’s unclear what those documents were and what Anderson’s next steps will be in the matter, as well as whaat role the South Dakota Secretary of State’s office, which oversees the election process statewide, may have down the line, if any.
So Anderson was trying to destroy ballots? Shocker.
Sheesh!
I was fine when they were just being dumb on Facebook. I never should have thought that it was okay. Now they are literally throwing away ballots. We as a state have failed for allowing them the freedom to talk without being met with opposition at every turn. I will make it my goal to not give them peace. Show up to their events, challenge them. Who cares if they get people to their event if they are made to look stupid.
Definitely not okay. If they do that in public, what are they doing behind the scenes?
especially when she collected signatures, campaigned for, and (i think) even donated money to an unsuccessful county commission candidate. No, it’s not big money, $20? and all this stuff is legal (i’m told). But how does it look to voters? For damn sure it does not look perfectly neutral & objective.
If you’re going to cheat, cheat well. This was a clumsy, amateurish, and stupid attempt, which, none the less may have achieved it’s objective, if the whole thing is swept under the rug and quickly forgotten. Who, indeed, is going to investigate Republican cheating.
I will buy the popcorn when the civil litigation starts with the wrongly disenfranchised voters sue the precinct board, the auditor, and Jessica Pullema. Clear wrong interpretation of the law in the complaint. The additional interesting question is how much collusion between the auditor and Mrs. Pollema occurred? And read SDCL 3-17-6. There are about 3 terms in that statute that potentially apply to the auditor here.