Check this press release from the Secretary of State Shantel Kreb’s office, as they attempt to shift blame to individual counties for the statewide issues with voting today, expressly citing that “County Commissioners and County Auditors in eight counties in this state have chosen to utilize electronic pollbooks.” and “This delay was limited to the counties that voluntarily use electronic pollbooks..“:
2018 Primary Election Clarifications
PIERRE, SD – The Secretary of State’s Office is clarifying information pertaining to certain county polling location issues.
For the facts:
County Commissioners and County Auditors in eight counties in this state have chosen to utilize electronic pollbooks.
These counties experienced sporadic loss of connectivity with their electronic pollbooks. Some of those counties switched to their back up plan of utilizing paper voter registration lists and pollbooks. Others resolved the issues with the electronic pollbook vendor without undue delay.
The loss of connectivity caused delays in voting in Pennington and Hughes Counties which will require a few polling places to remain open longer this evening based on the statute below. Pennington and Hughes Counties are determining which polling places will have extended hours beyond 7:00 pm local time. This information will be available as soon as we have it.
This is not a statewide issue. This delay was limited to the counties that voluntarily use electronic pollbooks and the issue has been resolved.
The eight counties include: Brookings, Brown, Hughes, Hyde, Pennington, Potter, Sully and Yankton.
SDCL 12-2-4. Emergency extension of closing times–Reopening after extended emergency. Notwithstanding § 12-2-3, the county auditor may, upon request of the superintendent of an election precinct, if an emergency exists by reason of mechanical failure of a voting machine or an unanticipated shortage of ballots or like unforeseen event warrants it, extend the polling hours for that precinct until the emergency situation has been resolved. If the emergency situation is not resolved within two hours, except for a primary or general election, the polling place shall remain closed for one week and reopen at the time of the closure of the polling place.
There will be a delay in releasing election results until all polling locations are closed due to the above statute and pursuant to the SDCL 12-20-17.
SDCL 12-20-17. Returns not disclosed until all polls in state closed. No public disclosure of the returns of state and federal elections in any primary or general election is permitted until each precinct polling place in the state is closed. This provision applies to each precinct polling place within the state.
###
Wow. Shantel Krebs’ office is actually trying to claim that it’s the fault of Brookings County, Brown County, Pennington County, etcetera, for having the systems they’re allowed to use according to State Law? Why are they attempting to shift blame for their systems talking to the statewide voter database from themselves to these individual counties?
Like them or not, the connectivity of E-pollbooks to the Statewide database seemed to work fine two years ago in the primary and general elections. But despite their prior successful use for several elections now, they’re doing their hardest to shift blame and roll someone else under the bus citing that the problem “was limited to the counties that voluntarily use electronic pollbooks.”
Given the hotly contested atmosphere that’s arisen in the campaigns, including the campaign being participated in by the Secretary of State herself, I don’t suspect blame-shifting election problems is going to go well for her office.
This is really out of line. Is Shantel in her office today? She clearly had a hand in writing this – there is no way the professional election staff would have written it this way.
She was supposed to remove herself from matters relating to her own election – now it looks like the two are pretty squarely mixed.
So much for reforming the office.
Shady Shantel, you had one job!
Is that tapio coming in second I see
Had anybody ever watched the ABC political drama Scandal?
Maybe it’s time for voting on cell phones and computers from home.
What does Barnett think about that?
Instead of going to the polls only to get stuck in line how about I’m able to vote from my phone?
In my opinion voting should take a little effort. It is a privilege to have the right to vote, and if it takes a little time and effort think about how it is to be from a country where you don’t get to vote on who governs. I know Democrats whine and cry foul any time it is suggested that voters should actually have to prove they are eligible to vote, but it shouldn’t be something conservatives complain about.
So guys, how is that close relationship with Putin coming along? You guys should call him. I bet his “tool bag” might have the answers to your election day problems….
Ask Hillary and company. They were the ones who paid for a fake “dossier”, not Trump. Hillary is the dirty cheater and her complete lack of likeability bit her in the backside.
VSG, It is a very busy day in St. Petersburg today.
Could it be ISIS?
But, we have low, low taxes. Who expected things to work right? Hmmmmm?
Why weren’t PROVISIONAL BALLOTS used!?! That’s standard procedure and has been for years.
Yes. Exactly. No voters should ever be turned away.
This captain has jumped ship and left the children behind.
Time for a cell phone voting app.
Barnett would be revolutionary.
Give a rest kids. Take the hype down a notch. Its an explanation. Some counties chose to go electronic knowing more inherent risks are present. Choose wisely next time- take the less risky version.
Yeah, I didn’t see this as a “they are to blame” statement. I think it is being waaaayyy overblown.
Who did polls show was leading in the affected counties?
Which candidate in the very close governor’s race is this likely to impact the most?
This is the blame shift: “County Commissioners and County Auditors in eight counties in this state have chosen to utilize electronic pollbooks.” What the County Commissioners would respond is these poll books are approved and provided by the SOS office.
If she had said only “The election poll books in these counties are not operational. . . ” I’d have respected her if she’d have stood with her team in her day job. I smell feathers burning as this goose is cooked.
And the SOS office heavily promoted their adoption under Gant. No county government would make this change on their own.
1) Who did polls show receiving the most support in the affected counties?
2) Which candidate in a razor thin primary stands to benefit most?
Krebs had 4 years to make any changes necessary to make this election a success. This was completely avoidable if she was focused on doing her job.
Why is no one talking about provisional ballots?
Shantel Krebs on her worst day as Secretary of State is still 10 times better than the train wreck that was Jason Gant’s tenure as Secretary of State.
well that day would be today
AMEN!!
Shantel and Mitch forgot to blame Dusty in this press release. Or maybe it’s all that out of state money that Mitch has been complaining about on Facebook. Or Neal Tapio. Just so long as it’s someone else’s fault.