Why would South Dakota’s libertarians advocating for autocracy?
Representative Aaron Aylward (R-6/Harrisburg), who ran the South Dakota Libertarian Party before he decided to brand himself with an R to get elected, has filed House Bill 1324 to abolish the State Board of Elections and move control over a host of election details from a bipartisan and experienced board to one person, to the Secretary of State.
The Board of Elections consists of seven members serving four-year terms:
- the Secretary of State serving as chair,
- two county auditors of different political parties chosen by the Speaker of the House from a list of auditors nominated by their fellow auditors,
- four members appointed by each of the majority leaders in each chamber of the Legislature.
The Board of Elections does not run elections, count ballots, or certify election results. The Board of Elections makes the rules for conducting elections. They set the format for voter registration forms, petitions, and ballots. They make lots of technical decisions that profoundly affect how 66 county auditors run elections and how citizens place candidates and issues on the ballot. Those technical decisions are exactly the kind of election arcana that require scrutiny from multiple sets of eyes, from people involved with and interested in the process at the local level who can tell a Secretary of State with some bright idea, “Actually, if you do that to the ballot or the petition form, you screw up efficient counting, and here’s why….”
The Board of Elections can bring institutional knowledge from around the state that produces better, more consistent election management than one partisan elected official can.
Rep. Aylward’s co-sponsors on HB 1324—Reps. Baxter, Ismay, Phil Jensen, and Kayser, and Sen. Pischke—are the kind of yahoos who mistake slashing government for good government. The Board of Elections is a small group that meets only a few times a year (twice in 2022, four times in 2023, twice in 2024, five times in 2025, and first time this year just last Friday to certify this year’s election equipment), so for a few per diems and expense payments, we get useful collaborative oversight of election rules to insulate the process from the partisanship or incompetence of one elected official.
Consolidating power in the hands of one person is not the libertarian way, or the republican or democratic way. Let’s hope House State Affairs sees through Rep. Aylward’s autocratic ploy, kills HB 1324, and keeps the Board of Elections.
No. Decisions in government should not be made by just one person. One party should not dictate election rules.
These yahoos, as you call them, don’t understand the history, culture and custom of the State of South Dakota. Citizen boards are a long-established in South Dakota as a means for citizens to have some say and control over elected officials. South Dakota citizens have always been a little skittish about fat-headed elected officials or domineering political factions gaining too much power and shutting out the voice of the public. Citizen boards often function as a way to diffuse power and provide needed citizen input and direction to elected officials. It’s true that sometimes these boards become a little bit too lap-doggish to the electeds and sometimes the ellecteds try to stack a board with ciphers. Still, most boards do provide valuable input and they sometimes go against what the electeds want. Citizen control of the election process is probably the most important thing we can have to protect us against tyranny. It’s really dismaying that these folks don’t understand South Dakota history. Maybe you shouldn’t be a legislator if you are so ignorant of the state’s history.
Seems like Aylward was mislabeled when he identified as a Libertarian and has now found his true home. No true libertarian would support this proposal.
Oh those free market Libertarian’s. Their world has gone. Kinda shows their lies about freedom upfront.
They are all Republicans and now they are Trumpeting.
One person decisions are only good if I’m that person— Says every one
South Duhkota where all but Lib politicians automatically dumb down and don’t know it.
Examples…Noem Nothing was a lousy part time guv and puppy killer, but she is even worse as Corey Lewdandlusty’s floozy and as Suckretary of whatever job the felon gave her.
Marlboro Barbie is a complete Caspar Milquetoast as Sinate Majority Leader and rubber stamp for what ever the felon tells him h wants done.