Republican lawmakers propose bills to strengthen election laws

A couple of Republican legislative leaders have announced a legislative package aimed at strengthening the state’s election laws.  The “Stronger and Safer for 2024” legislative package is an effort to protect the public’s confidence in the election system, reduce opportunities for fraud, expand transparency, and improve the accuracy and security of the state’s voter registration system.  

House Majority Leader Will Mortenson said that South Dakota has a good system, run by honest and capable local officials, and should continue to be an example for other states.

Mortenson said that one of the proposals that will be before legislators will be to establish a post-election audit process.

Senate Majority Leader Casey Crabtree of Madison said that the package of legislation being introduced this session is aimed at updating election laws before the 2024 election cycle.

The “Stronger and Safer for 2024” legislative package includes proposals to: secure ballot tabulation machines, establish a post-election audit process, establish distance requirements and poll watchers’ rights, ban unmonitored drop boxes, ban ballot harvesting activities, and clean up the state’s voter rolls.

January 27, 2023