SD House passes election audit bill amid false fraud claims

PIERRE, S.D. (AP) — South Dakota House Republicans are passing a bill to require audits of ballots and voting equipment in close presidential elections. They were spurred by a baseless claims that the 2020 presidential election was subject to widespread fraud. Republican Rep. Taffy Howard told the House chamber that other states had seen fraud in the 2020 election and South Dakota’s elections had also had “irregularities.” Her bill would require a “forensic audit” to verify federal office results if two presidential candidates come within 10 percentage points of each other. An Associated Press review of every potential case of voter fraud in the six battleground states found no widespread fraud.