National and South Dakota election law experts will lead a free, virtual training session on May 8 for journalists, students and state residents interested in or concerned about election integrity as well as newsgathering at polls.
The session is sponsored by SDPB, South Dakota News Watch and the South Dakota Bar Foundation. It will be held at noon-1 p.m. CT Friday, May 8, on Zoom and then archived on SDPB's YouTube channel.
David Becker, founder and executive director of the nonpartisan nonprofit Center for Election Innovation and Research, will discuss South Dakota election laws and the many safeguards ensuring the state's election security.
He will be joined by David Bordewyk, executive director of the South Dakota NewsMedia Association, and Justin G. Smith, a Sioux Falls lawyer and legislative lobbyist.
They will specifically address a new law, signed by South Dakota Gov. Larry Rhoden last month, requiring state residents to provide documentary proof of citizenship when registering to vote. The bill appears modeled after the SAVE Act, a sweeping elections bill championed by President Trump that has stalled in the Senate.
Alexander Rifaat
Becker will detail election officials' extensive efforts to prevent election fraud, which remains extremely rare. A recent CEIR report found that noncitizen registration and voting do not pose a significant threat to U.S. election systems.
"We have a very good sense of the depth of the problem here. It is extremely rare that noncitizens get registered, and it is infinitesimally rare that they vote," Becker said. "Our country's elections are as secure, reliable and verifiable as they have ever been in American history, and much of that is thanks to the dedicated and hardworking officials who oversee our elections in the face of intense scrutiny."
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Becker and Major Garrett, a CBS News correspondent who previously covered the White House for Fox News, co-authored a book about the 2020 election titled “The Big Truth.”
The hourlong session will also cover the South Dakota law that gives journalists guidance on where they can legally shoot photos and videos at polling places.
Bordewyk said being informed about election integrity and the laws that guide elections is important.
"No. 1, elections are essential to democracy. Journalists are there on the front lines to cover democracy in action – elections. And understanding the laws around elections and how they're conducted is essential for a journalist doing their job correctly," he said.
South Dakota News Watch is an independent nonprofit. Read, donate and subscribe for free at sdnewswatch.org. Contact: info@sdnewswatch.org.
