It was a long, difficult, and sometimes painful campaign season across America, and now comes post-election audits and analysis.
South Dakota Secretary of State Monae Johnson said not to worry, as the state’s elections and tabulators are secured.
“We go through anything you can probably think of – a lot of scenarios. Coordinated by some of our seasoned auditors, they did the post-election audit training," Johnson said in an interview with SDPB's In the Moment with Lori Walsh. "So, we’re looking forward to the post-election audit for the general election, and that just proves the tabulators are doing the job they’re supposed to be doing. They’re counting the votes just as the voter checked the box.”
Additional information and communication can be expected in coming days as the state finishes the initial count and then the post-tally canvass.
In the meantime, Johnson said to remember the published results are unofficial.
“That will stay like that until the actual county canvass they will do, the auditor does with county commissioners, where they go through the results, and it’s signed off," Johnson said. "That’s a certified copy that gets sent to our office no later than Monday, Nov. 11.”
Now though, the nation remains in the middle of one of the most scrutinized elections in its history. Johnson said there are plenty of reasons to trust in the process.
“When we go to the voting booth, it’s a paper ballot and we require ID," Johnson said. "For those that want to watch the election process, we encourage poll watchers to take part in that. The tabulators are not connected to the internet. We just stress election integrity. We have secure, safe elections.”
Full, unofficial results can be found online at the Secretary of State’s website.