Secretary of State Monae Johnson spearheading study on post-election audits

Study will be used to write legislation before the 2024 election

Secretary of State Monae Johnson answers questions in her office on Jan. 11, 2023. (Jonathan Ellis/The Dakota Scout)

PIERRE — Secretary of State Monae Johnson does not plan to introduce legislation in this year’s legislative session, she said in an interview Wednesday.

The new secretary, who won office in November, said she needs time to assess what laws should be changed. Top of her list is developing a post-election audit process for South Dakota elections.

But there are different methods to conduct a post-election audit, and Johnson, the state’s top election officer, said her office will spearhead a summer study this year to develop an audit that would best suit South Dakota, which includes dozens of small, rural counties.

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