Attorney urges care in choosing Secretary of State
Having practiced law for over 45 years, I can confirm that the Secretary of State is an office way too critical to be a political football. It’s a shame the election is even a partisan one.
The SOS protects the right to vote for every eligible voter and works with local officials to provide efficient, transparent, and fair elections. Thanks to state and local professionals and local volunteers, elections have never been a problem here. The SOS also handles campaign finance reports, registers lobbyists, processes ballot questions, commissions notaries, and delivers a host of other services to individuals and local governments.
The SD SOS also is critical to businesses and consumers in this state. SOS maintains information for all business entities operating in South Dakota and makes that information available online.
The office handles over 70,000 business filings each year, plus trademarks and Uniform Commercial Code filings important to lenders and property owners.
Dedication to competent, efficient, professional service is crucial.
Knowing all that, Republican incumbent Monae Johnson endorsed Terrence Davis. Despite the personal costs of endorsing a Democrat, Johnson explained that she could not remain silent because “the integrity, stability, and professionalism of this office is at stake.”
Likely, that’s because Republican candidate Heather Baxter is known as an election denier who neither respects the strength of our existing system nor understands the broad duties of the SOS.
Baxter ran for SOS only after coming in last in a primary election earlier this year for a legislative seat in her home district. Her focus is what she calls “election reform” – a euphemism for abandoning automation in favor of an inefficient, error-riddled plan of hand-counting all ballots.
Davis is a competent, reality-based professional who knows election administration is only one part of the job and knows it should not be politicized.
A former SD state trooper, Davis has a Master’s in public policy and experience in law enforcement and legal services, and is working on a doctorate in Law and Policy.
He respects the expertise of County Auditors, is committed to protecting voter information, and supports careful testing before implementing any major changes. Instead of retreating to pre-automation days, he advocates modernizing website services for businesses and consumers alike.
Terrence Davis, as Monae Johnson knows, is the best choice for SD Secretary of State.
Nancy Turbak Berry has practiced law in Watertown for 42 years. She has been a state senator, a state court magistrate judge, and an adjunct law professor.
Photo: Terrence Davis
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