Voters in three rural South Dakota counties will decide this Tuesday whether to switch back to counting ballots manually, joining other communities across the country considering this change due to doubts stemming from the 2020 presidential election.
These counties, each with fewer than 6,000 residents, would be among the first in the U.S. to return to traditional hand counts, which were largely replaced by machine tabulators in most places.
While several states and local governments have discussed banning machine counting since 2020, most efforts have stalled due to concerns about cost, the time required for manual counting, and challenges in hiring additional staff.
Voters outside a polling station (Jimmy Baker/Getty Images)
Experts caution that hand counting is less accurate than machine tabulation. Supporters in South Dakota remain undeterred.
“We believe that decentralized elections are more secure and transparent and that citizens should oversee their elections,” said Jessica Pollema, president of SD Canvassing, a group backing the change.
Similar efforts elsewhere also stem from false claims by former President Donald Trump and his supporters after the 2020 election. They alleged widespread voter fraud and spread conspiracy theories about manipulated voting machines stealing the election. Despite no evidence supporting these claims, they have taken hold in many Trump-supporting communities.
