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Editorial Comment;
Do what's needed for fair elections
Hazeltine has good plan; ACLU should back off
COMMENT ON THIS EDITORIAL: This editorial was published in the Argus Leader, stating the ACLU should "back off". It's to be noted that the Argus Leader included in its endorsements, Bill Janklow for the House of Representatives.
Argus Leader
There's a good chance Secretary of State Joyce Hazeltine's advice on
absentee ballots will be ignored.
Not because it's bad advice - but because it's just too cumbersome.
Whether county auditors take that advice or not, they need to take the
greatest care with our elections Tuesday, both in voting and counting.
And if that means it takes all night before we know who won, so be it.
Hazeltine is worried because of allegations of voter fraud concerning
both new registrations and requests for absentee ballots. If a
fraudulent absentee ballot is counted the way it normally is, and then
the real voter shows up at the polls - that person will be told his or
her vote already has been counted.
And a voter loses out.
Hazeltine has suggested county auditors change their procedure.
Normally, absentee ballots are processed and thrown into the ballot box
throughout election day, whenever election workers have the time.
Hazeltine says the absentee ballots ought to be processed - but they
shouldn't be placed in the ballot boxes until voting is finished.
That way, if there's a fraudulent absentee ballot and the real voter
shows up at the polls, he or she still can vote, and the absentee ballot
then will be thrown out.
That could mean serious delays, something Hazeltine recognizes.
Minnehaha County Auditor Sue Roust says following that procedure to the
letter could mean there wouldn't be final results until eight or nine
hours after polls close.
"To the extent that we can do it, we will," Roust said.
Roust pointed out, though, that new registrations and absentee ballots
will be looked at closely to verify their validity. Signatures will be
compared.
That's great. We want the election process to be as quick and easy as
possible for voters, but we also want to make sure there are no
post-election questions or problems.
A Florida-like mess would be devastating for South Dakota, especially
considering the anticipated closeness of several races and the bitter
feelings these campaigns already have generated.
If it takes delays to prevent that, we should have delays.
If it takes closer scrutiny, we should scrutinize.
Whatever it takes - without preventing legitimate voters from casting
their ballots - we should do it.
This is all about making sure that voters have their say and that fraud
is minimized, if not eliminated.
That's something the American Civil Liberties Union doesn't seem to
recognize. The ACLU is questioning whether Hazeltine's suggestion to
county auditors might violate the federal Voting Rights Act, which
requires preclearance for any change in the way votes are counted. South
Dakota has two counties - Shannon and Todd - that are affected by that
provision.
But this merely affects the timing of the count. Not how the votes
themselves are counted.
The whole point of Hazeltine's recommendation is to guarantee that
legitimate voters be able to participate in Tuesday's election.
The ACLU should back off.
Following were the Argus Leader's endorsed candidates, including Bill Janklow.
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