South Dakota Secretary of State Monae Johnson speaks during a press conference about election security and integrity on Oct. 9, 2024, at the University of Nebraska at Omaha. (Zach Wendling/Nebraska Examiner)
South Dakota’s secretary of state is taking responsibility for the release of sensitive voter registration data, after her office published a spreadsheet that labeled thousands of residents as having registered to vote at government assistance agencies.
“As Secretary of State, I take full responsibility for the release of this information. My office is committed to both transparency and protecting voter privacy,” Secretary of State Monae Johnson said in a statement Friday. “Upon discovering the issue, we acted immediately to remove the data and prevent further dissemination.”
The data was posted online following the passage of a new law requiring the state’s full voter registration list to be freely available to the public. But among the fields included in the data was “Source of Registration,” which publicly identified people who registered at offices for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program, or the Women, Infants and Children program.
In all, 7,186 people were labeled as having registered to vote while applying for public assistance, according to a Searchlight analysis.
SD election office publishes voter list labeling thousands as public assistance applicants
The release of the information drew criticism from lawmakers and the public alike.
“This is what happens when you put the wrong people in charge,” said state House Minority Leader Erin Healy, D-Sioux Falls, who voted against the bill. “We talk a lot about freedom and privacy in this state, so it’s a shame that this legislation led to this type of breach.”
The list contains the information of 668,419 registered voters — their names, addresses, phone numbers, email addresses, party registrations and other personal information.
The South Dakota Secretary of State’s Office “apologizes for the disclosure of information,” according to the statement, and is committed to “restoring public trust following this error.”
While voter registration at a public assistance agency does not necessarily mean a person receives benefits, Johnson said her office will notify affected individuals by mail. She said county auditors have also been contacted, and individuals who accessed the original data will be asked to delete any copies.
The new law, which passed earlier this year with some bipartisan support and went into effect in July, was sold as increasing transparency in elections by making voter registration information accessible without a $2,500 fee. Activists who favor the hand-counting of ballots, oppose the use of vote-counting machines and deny the legitimacy of the 2020 presidential election were among those who promoted the legislation as an “election integrity” measure.
The Secretary of State’s Office said voters with concerns are encouraged to contact the office directly.
Meanwhile, the potential for a lawsuit against the state looms. The American Civil Liberties Union of South Dakota on Friday invited affected people to fill out the legal intake form on its website.
“Removing these files does not wash away the damage that has been done,” the ACLU said in a news release. “Private information about South Dakotans has now been made public to anyone who downloaded the files in the past month.”
EDITOR’S NOTE: This story has been updated since its original publication with reaction from the ACLU of South Dakota.
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