The leader of the pro-Trump South Dakota Canvassing Group, called for the resignation of all seven members of the South Dakota Board of Elections—including Secretary of State Monae Johnson—during Thursday’s public comment session. Jessica Pollema also urged lawmakers to abolish the board entirely.
Her remarks followed the board’s unanimous decision to reject a request from Rick Weible of Elkton, who sought a declaratory ruling on the legality of laptops used in Lincoln and Pennington counties. Weible claimed the election equipment vendor ES&S violated state rules by deploying unapproved laptop models without board authorization.
Board member Scott McGregor said the board lacked jurisdiction and advised Weible to pursue the matter as a contested case. Pollema criticized the decision as a deflection of responsibility and accused Rapid City attorney Sara Frankenstein of misleading the board.
South Dakota Canvassing previously supported Johnson’s nomination in 2022 but has since distanced itself. The group recently promoted Rep. Heather Baxter’s bid for the GOP nomination.
Weible said he plans to refile his complaint under the federal Help America Vote Act (HAVA), citing missing meeting records from the state’s HAVA grant board. He described the hearing as “instructive and helpful” and vowed to continue pressing the issue.
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