Monae Johnson shifts stance on South Dakota voting machines

South Dakota Secretary of State Monae Johnson has shifted her stance on election security, moving from skepticism regarding electronic vote-counting machines to publicly supporting their use.

Johnson, who was elected in 2022 with support from activists who distrusted electronic tabulators and favored hand-counting, previously expressed doubts about election results and the hackability of systems. However, after overseeing elections, she has stated that South Dakota’s system includes necessary safeguards. During a summer address to Republican convention delegates, she affirmed her trust in county auditors and secure, tested ballot tabulators.

In an unusual political move, Johnson is now backing a Democratic candidate to succeed her. Former Pennsylvania Secretary of State Kathy Boockvar noted that while officials often enter roles due to skepticism, it is rare for a statewide official to publicly admit that their previous concerns were unfounded.