Why has this idea taken so long to take off?
Business Manager Todd Vik said a proposed change in state law would let the district scrap precincts in favor of 10 or so voting centers, each of which would be open to all eligible voters. Networked electronic voting books at each polling place would ensure no one votes twice.
I have often wondered why we haven’t done all elections in the city like this? I know for a fact that city clerk Debra Owen has always pushed to make city elections more accessible and I think this is the time to implement such a program. There are many benefits to; you can still keep the paper ballot and you save money by having fewer precincts and you encourage voting. I have often been an advocate of holding elections on Saturdays and Sundays (A Bob Dole idea) but since that may never happen I think this is a great solution. I have often felt that the city fathers prefer making elections complicated that way fewer voters turnout to the polls, which benefits them. Remember, Mayor Munson was elected by fewer then 9% of Sioux Falls residents. Is that even democratic?