Initiated Measure petitions are out this afternoon at the Sioux Empire Fair, but no one is manning the booth to witness signatures.

Pat Powers

Here’s one that got my attention this afternoon.   I just got a note from a correspondent regarding unattended initiated measure petitions that were out in an unmanned booth at least for a time at the Sioux Empire Fair today:

I was at the Sioux Empire Fair today and I found this booth with a number of petitions left unattended in the booth unmanned.

And, they had the pictures to back up their statement:

I’m told by my correspondent that these photos were taken at about 4:15 today. As in 4:15 Saturday afternoon, which is a pretty busy time for the fair.  In fact, the person who sent me the photos noted  “I was waiting around to see who was going to show up, but I never saw anyone.” In fact, they also noted that someone from a nearby booth was raiding the candy from the seemingly abandoned booth.

It was as if the petitions were out, and no one was home.

It’s important to understand that initiated measure petition signatures cannot legally be collected on unattended petitions. In fact, under state law the person circulating petitions has to swear that they watched it happen…

I, under oath, state that I circulated the above petition, that each signer personally signed this petition in my presence, that I am not attesting to any signature obtained by any other person, that I am a resident of South Dakota, that I made reasonable inquiry and to the best of my knowledge each person signing the petition is a qualified voter in the county indicated on the signature line, that no state statute regarding petition circulation was knowingly violated, and that either the signer or I added the printed name, the residence address of the signer, the date of signing, and the county of voter registration.

Read that here.

So, how exactly are they able to accomplish attesting to witnessing all the signatures when they’ve left the table unattended, with pens and petitions out for any passers to sign? Especially when that’s a flagrant violation of the rules?

And here’s the kicker – the petitions that are out on the table are because the sponsor – our Democrat socialist friend Cory Heidelberger – wants to eliminate rules on petition circulators, and hide information from voters on the ballot.

It’s kind of damning when someone – who is suing the state to prevent rules on petition signature collection from going into effect – is running an operation that doesn’t appear to be following the rules on petition signature collection.

32 thoughts on “Initiated Measure petitions are out this afternoon at the Sioux Empire Fair, but no one is manning the booth to witness signatures.”

    1. Not good enough evidence . I have seen people that stand several feet from a table encouraging people to come in and sign the petition. Sometimes you have to step outside the booth.

    2. Dave, Pat won’t let me post the picture of the unmanned both at the Sioux Empire fair that Mark Mickelson was circulating. Busted.

    3. Like how Dave? Prove to me there was nobody there. I want to see video or a picture straight on from 30 feet away.

  3. Didn’t Mickelson’s crew do this last cycle? I didn’t see you making a post about his team’s failure by leaving petitions unattended. I think it was an honest mistake then and now. Smells like hypocrisy to me but I don’t know if I would expect any less coming from this blog.

    1. Clay, if you don’t know if they did, why would would you demand I know?

      It’s not an “honest mistake” if it’s expressly prohibited, and a basis for throwing petitions out when challenged in court.

      And actually, last election it was Rick Weiland/Drey Samuelson’s IM26 that had issues with petition circulation. And they were removed from the ballot for it.

      https://www.statnews.com/2018/07/17/south-dakota-drug-pricing/

    2. Did you have pics of said unattended petitions and made them public? Evidence? And why would it be hypocritical to point out a breach in the law? Dude, you are not making sense.

      1. I agree with Dave R.

        Let’s accept, arguendo, the allegation that SD failed to enforce ballot initiative rules/law in a previous case.

        Assuming that occurred, shall we stop enforcing the law to avoid complaints of hypocrisy? Or, do we enforce the law going forward, to the best of our ability, irrespective of what transpired in prior years?

        Unless you have a DeLorean with a flux capacitor stashed in your barn, we can’t go back & change the past.

      1. “But lest he end up with an embarrassing invalid petition or circulators with Bosworth felony raps, perhaps Speaker Mickelson should work with some experienced petitioners who can provide dedicated, well-trained circulators who understand the petition process.”

        So what you’re saying is that Cory Heidelberger-with-fries knows better but lets his group do it anyway.

  4. Maybe Ellee Spawn was running the show at the fair, she ran off when the cops walked by.

    1. Do you even know what the initiative says? If you want to be against it, fine. Let’s hear your reason.

    1. That is the problem. We don’t know if they were signed and witnessed or not.

      All we know is there are piles of legal documents left unattended at the Sioux Empire Fair.

  9. This is good fodder instead of not addressing issues that affect people’s lives.

  10. I would be more concerned about conflicts of interest. Can you be a Lobbyist and a Legislator at the same time.

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