Voter Protection: Be Involved
Make sure your vote counts!
Secretary of State
500 East Capitol Ave., #204 • Pierre, SD 57501
(605) 773-3537
ES&S VOTING SYSTEM VERSION USED IN SOUTH DAKOTA REMAIN A MYSTERY
The state lacks transparency and is avoiding scrutiny
South Dakotas current statewide voting equipment is manufactured by ES&S. According to the South Dakota Secretary of State website, the last voting equipment certified for use in South Dakota is ES&S EVS 5.2.2.0, which is out of date and vulnerable. According to their meetings, there are 2 more recent certified ES&S versions, EVS 6.0.4.0 (still using end of life software no longer supported by Microsoft) and EVS 6.1.0.0 (using Windows 10). It is unclear which version they are currently using.
- sdsos.gov/about-the-office/board-of-elections/ballot-certifications.aspx
- sdsos.gov/about-the-office/assets/boe_minutes/DraftBOEMinutes8.13.19.pdf
- boardsandcommissions.sd.gov/bcuploads/DraftBOEMinutes10.30.19.pdf
SD VOTERS PRIVATE DATA EASILY ACCESIBLE
Voter’s party affiliation and home address open to public
The State of South Dakota provides a voter status viewer. This application requires only a voter’s name, last name and date of birth or zip code to access it. Any person with such information could then access any voter’s address, party affiliation and absentee ballot tracking information (date absentee ballot application received, date absentee ballot sent and received).
SD POLL BOOKS CONNECTED TO THE INTERNET
Voting equipment connected to the internet is at risk of being hacked
South Dakota legislature allows electronic pollbooks be connected to the internet during the election. Part of the recommendations and checklist for ePollBook/Vote Center Counties is testing the mobile hotspot device in each polling location. A mobile hotspot device is like a mobile phone, but without the ability to make calls, which allows equipment to be connected to internet by sharing its connection via Wi-Fi.
THOUSANDS OF REGISTERED VOTERS DON’T LIVE IN SOUTH DAKOTA
Pennington County has thousands of voters registered to one rural address
About 6,300 voters registered to a single address in Pennington County, and about 1,400 people are registered to a business address in Hanson County. Many people become residents of SD to take advantage of tax breaks on income and vehicles. Registering to become a resident can be done without even present in the State. A Pennington County Auditor says that auditors have been instructed by the State not to investigate the registration of a voter unless someone formally challenges it.
South Dakota Constitutional Preamble
We, the people of South Dakota, grateful to Almighty God for our civil and religious liberties, in order to form a more perfect and independent government, establish justice, insure tranquillity, provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare and preserve to ourselves and to our posterity the blessings of liberty, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the state of South Dakota.
