So we are starting to wake up.. and we still don’t know the results of what happened in Sioux Falls.
As of 1 a.m., only 49 of 67 partial precincts in the city election were reported, totalling 10,331 votes. The county race reported 69 of 71 partial precincts, totalling 12,846 votes.
Sioux Falls City Clerk Tom Greco said early Wednesday he hopes to at least get through Election Day ballots early this morning.
Minnehaha County Auditor Bob Litz put a pause on counting ballots for the county just after 1 a.m. Wednesday after he and volunteers who had been working for over 12 hours started to tire. Workers were planning to return to the Old Courthouse Museum to finish the job starting at 10 a.m. Wednesday.
Was it last primary when after another slow election in Minnehaha County after giving people incorrect ballots, days later they found ballots that hadn’t been counted?
In February, Minnehaha County Auditor Bob Litz lamented to Governing Magazine:
Why is the U.S. public tied to the idea that “fast” results are mandatory? It’s not like getting a burger or taco. The folks who push this idea are those who are reporting the elections or those who are in the race, and they don’t want their supporters waiting too long on a Tuesday night for a winner. Neither group should be promoting speed above accuracy.
Given that Bob has proven Minnehaha County is known for neither speed nor accuracy, he probably should have kept his rant to himself, and worked on how he could improve one or the other.
And here we find ourselves again waiting for election results.
Yes, the public does have an expectation of finding out the results of elections on a timely basis. And it’s the job of public officials – particularly the auditor – to figure out how to deliver. If they can’t do that they probably should look for a different job.
It’s basic planning. You form a plan. You take your proposals to the County Commission and ask for funding, explaining why. You hire more people. You get more equipment
You have to wonder when they’re going to figure out that with many people living there, inevitably and not surprisingly, “lots of people will vote on Election Day in Minnehaha County.”
Until that time ever arrives, we’re going to continue to wait on the largest county in the state to get their act together as every other county in the state has figured out and manages to accomplish.
I’m surprised the most populous county in the state doesn’t have the best equipment to quickly and accurately process election ballots.
I’m not sure what the rules are (if there are any) on prepping the absentee ballots for counting, but I think that should have been done or a process in place to quickly get through them.
When I voted, I had a ballot that I filled in circles and put in a box. The ballot had the computer tracking dashes that tell me they put the ballots through a machine and they count. I don’t know how fast the machines are, but it seems to me it should not take very long for all of these ballots to be run through the machine.
I hear the Iowa Democrats are looking someone to oversee their caucus voting tabulation process. The Minnehaha County auditor should apply.
What is going to happen in November when 3 times the number of ballots will have to be counted? Did Pennington have any problems, seems they got things counted in a timely fashion. Contrary to Litz’s belief of accuracy over speed, I wonder when it takes so long “are they trying to change the election,” especially when the other counties get done quickly.