Commissioner accuses auditor of behaving like Pontius Pilate

Conflict breaks out over service agreement for voting machines

Photo by Mika Baumeister on Unsplash

A routine housekeeping measure at the Minnehaha County Commission on Tuesday turned into an ambush, as Auditor Leah Anderson and her supporters used a service agreement to attack the credibility of electronic voting machines.

Anderson brought a proposal to the commission for a service agreement with Election Systems & Software, a company that manufactures and services electronic voting machines. Anderson said she didn’t have the authority to sign the agreement. She also hinted that she doesn’t favor electronic voting machines, citing a state law that she said allows the commission to abandon the machines.

“As we introduce more technology, I feel that we take away some of the electoral process from the public,” she said.

That prompted an exchange between Commissioners Jean Bender and Dean Karsky with Anderson. Bender said she was confused how a service agreement led to a discussion on voting machines.