On Tuesday, ballot measures aimed at hand-counting the votes on election night were rejected in three South Dakota counties. However, the fact that the proposal was put forward in the first place highlights the lingering impact of conspiracy theories surrounding the 2020 election.
There are still doubts surrounding the validity of election results, particularly regarding the transparency of the entire process. This has led to suggestions of significant changes being made. One such proposal gaining momentum involves election night hand counts.
Only a handful of jurisdictions in the country opt to hand count ballots during election night, often limited to small counties with low populations. Despite the smaller scale, the process still poses significant challenges.
Tripp County’s auditor, Barb DeSersa, along with Haakon and Gregory County, rejected proposals to prohibit the use of vote tabulating machines and switch to hand-counting ballots.
In an interview with UPI before Tuesday’s results, DeSersa expressed her apprehensions and shared her personal experience with hand counting. According to her, the manual process would demand the hiring of additional poll workers, which would ultimately result in pushing back the vote tallying process by several hours.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Tripp County is currently home to a population of 5,624 individuals.
According to DeSersa, the reason behind the belief of rigged elections among some people is Donald Trump’s loss in the election. He stated that the people who support this belief feel that the election was rigged. However, DeSersa is of the opinion that this belief is not valid in South Dakota, as the state has only one electoral vote and Trump won it. He doesn’t see any issue with the election in South Dakota.
In the 2022 midterms, election workers in Tripp County manually counted the ballots. However, DeSersa reported that the count was inaccurate.
“They brought in the last precinct at 5:30 in the morning, but unfortunately, it was off,” she explained. “Even though they were aware of the discrepancies, they were all exhausted from the long day.”
According to Morrell, the messaging we witnessed after 2020 regarding conspiracy theories about voting technology can be traced back to the four years of fear-mongering and grifting, where those messages were repeatedly emphasized.
My Pillow’s founder, Mike Lindell, has been a strong advocate of hand counting and has urged for its widespread adoption. Additionally, he has utilized his platform to promote conspiracy theories about the election.
In the aftermath of the 2020 presidential election, Dominion Voting, a company specializing in voting system technology, has taken legal action against Lindell for spreading false and baseless allegations about their voting machines. The lawsuit, which is centered around defamation, was filed in response to Lindell’s continued efforts to promote and legitimize discredited claims about Dominion’s role in the election.
Dominion has reached a resolution in its defamation lawsuit with Fox News and former host Tucker Carlson. The lawsuit was filed due to repeated instances of disinformation being spread about Dominion’s voting machines by Carlson and other television personalities. As part of the settlement, Fox News has agreed to pay $787.5 million.
Smartmatic, a company providing election voting systems, recently settled a lawsuit in April. The lawsuit was filed against One America News Network (OANN) for defamation. Smartmatic claimed that OANN made false allegations about the company, even though their machines were only used in Los Angeles.
After hosting a contest that challenged people to disprove his election claims, Lindell was ordered to pay a hefty sum of $5 million. This was due to his refusal to pay Robert Zeidman, the winner of the contest who had provided evidence that the data Lindell had been promoting was, in fact, unrelated to the election.
Many individuals have taken a cue from Lindell’s conspiracy theory regarding the 2020 election. One such group is the Liberty Lions League, which has propagated the belief that the Vatican-backed hackers in Italy meddled with the voting machines. The group’s cybersecurity and network consultant, Mark Cook, went on a “Hand Count Road Show” across 19 states to promote this narrative and advocate for hand counting as a remedy.
In September, Cook and other group members made a presentation to the Kansas legislature. The presentation centered around the critique of voting machines and election officials.
Last year, Rudy Giuliani, former attorney of President Trump, was held liable for defamation when he spread false claims about two Georgia election workers. As a result, he was ordered to pay $133,000 in sanctions due to a civil lawsuit filed by Ruby Freeman and Wandrea’ ArShaye Moss.
According to Morrell, tech companies have halted their endeavors to combat election misinformation and disinformation on popular social media platforms. The constant appearance of such content in voters’ and constituents’ feeds presents a significant challenge for those attempting to counter these messages. The underlying issue is the widespread distrust of both the government and technology.
The Human Process
The human process is a complex and multifaceted system that involves various cognitive, emotional, and behavioral responses. It is a dynamic process that is influenced by various factors, including genetics, environment, and culture. The human process involves multiple stages, including perception, interpretation, decision-making, and action.
Perception is the first stage of the human process, where individuals receive and interpret information from their environment through their senses. This information is then processed and interpreted, leading to the next stage of the human process – interpretation.
Interpretation is the stage where individuals assign meaning to the information received during the perception stage. This stage is influenced by various factors, including past experiences, beliefs, values, and expectations. The interpretation stage is critical as it shapes an individual’s perception of reality, leading to the next stage of the human process – decision-making.
Decision-making is the stage where individuals make choices based on their perception and interpretation of the information received. This stage involves evaluating different options and selecting the most appropriate course of action. The decision-making stage is influenced by various factors, including emotions, cognitive biases, and social pressures.
Finally, the action stage is where individuals implement the decision made during the decision-making stage. The action stage involves various behaviors and responses, including verbal and non-verbal communication, motor skills, and emotional responses.
In conclusion, the human process is a complex and dynamic system that involves various stages, including perception, interpretation, decision-making, and action. These stages are influenced by various factors and are critical in shaping an individual’s response to their environment. Understanding the human process is essential in various fields, including psychology, sociology, and business, among others.
According to a report by the Elections Group and States United Democracy Center, hand counts have limitations that can lead to incorrect counts and are more costly and time-consuming than other methods. The report suggests that full hand counts may not be the most efficient option for counties and states.
Pam Smith, the president and CEO of Verified Voting, a nonpartisan organization focused on researching the impact of technology on election administration, believes that hand counting has a place, even in larger jurisdictions. However, this role is usually restricted to taking a sample of ballots and verifying their accuracy with tabulation machines.
Post-election audits weren’t as widespread in 2020, but they’ve since been embraced by most states. This year, South Dakota is conducting post-election audits for the first time ever and will begin by auditing the results from Tuesday’s elections in the upcoming week.
According to Smith, they have always been aware of the potential issues with the technology involved in ballot counting. They have taken precautions and performed regular checks to ensure accuracy. In addition, having a physical ballot available for voters to check can serve as a confirmation of the technology’s accuracy.
Throughout the electoral process, multiple checks are conducted to ensure accuracy and fairness. One crucial point where these checks occur is during the preparation phase. Testing machines is a crucial step to guarantee that all the candidates and contests are accurately represented on the ballot, and the systems are functioning correctly.
According to Smith, technology remains a part of the equation even with hand counts on election night.
According to Smith, electronic poll books may also be utilized to verify voters’ registration. He emphasized that it would not be permissible to completely disregard technology. Smith stated that a ballot scanner is merely another component of the system that must be considered.
Smith and Morrell, along with election workers like DeSersa, are still grappling with the task of restoring trust in the election process for those who have lost faith in it. According to Smith and Morrell, the most effective way to rebuild that trust is through education.
Governments at the federal, state, and local levels are using various channels to communicate with the public about elections. Additionally, some counties are offering personal experiences such as tours of their election headquarters, providing opportunities for people to ask questions and gain a firsthand understanding of how the process works.
After observing the process of chain of custody ballots and interacting with the election staff, Smith noted that she has witnessed a few individuals alter their opinions and alleviate their doubts.
According to her, once they understood the importance of knowledge, they were fully supportive. It is crucial to educate people about the checks and balances in place. Being proactive is essential, and individuals should feel free to ask questions, but they should direct queries towards the election officials. Participation is key, and the more people can participate, the better it is for everyone.
According to Smith, concerned citizens can make a difference by volunteering to work at the polls. She revealed that several precincts throughout the country are facing a shortage of poll workers, which has been exacerbated by the growing mistrust in the electoral process. Therefore, lending a hand in this aspect can make a significant impact.
According to Morrell, the election process is essentially a human process, whether or not voting machines are involved. She agrees with Smith that people should volunteer to work at the elections to gain a deeper understanding of the human element involved.
According to Morrell, the election process is not solely reliant on technology, but rather it remains a human and community-driven process. While voting systems do play a significant role, it is ultimately people who work together to ensure a successful election. Morrell emphasized that individuals from both parties work side-by-side, raising their hands and taking an oath to uphold the integrity of the process. For these individuals, this oath holds great importance.