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Bill

HB 1127

require that notice of a county's canvass, post-election audit, and testing of automatic tabulating equipment be posted to the secretary of state's website.

2025 Regular Session Introduced by Mary Fitzgerald and 4 co-sponsors

South Dakota now requires counties to publish election canvass, audit, and equipment testing notices on the state Secretary of State website for public accessibility.

Signed by the Governor on 2025-03-31 H.J. 553
#electionverification #elections #voting
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Bill Summary · HB 1127

Legislative bill overview

HB 1127 requires South Dakota counties to post notices of their election canvass, post-election audits, and tabulating equipment testing to the Secretary of State's website. This creates a centralized, publicly accessible record of these election verification activities across all counties in the state.

Why is this important

Election transparency and public confidence depend partly on visibility into verification processes. By mandating notices appear on a state website rather than only in local county records, the bill makes it easier for election observers, media, and the public to track election integrity activities statewide without visiting individual county offices or websites.

Potential points of contention

  • Implementation burden: Counties must comply with new posting requirements, potentially creating administrative costs and coordination challenges with the Secretary of State's office
  • Scope of "notice": The bill doesn't specify what level of detail notices must contain—minimal notices versus comprehensive reports could significantly affect transparency outcomes
  • Digital divide: Relying on website posting may overlook populations without internet access, potentially creating two-tiered access to election information

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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