The more than 160 registered voters who have listed a Rapid City Walmart as their address are at the center of a debate between two candidates for county auditor.
Pennington County auditor candidate James Bialota raised the issue on Wednesday in a press release obtained by the Rapid City Journal.
‘I will update the voter list and bring equality back to the election process,’ Bialota said in a news release.
Bialota’s opponent for the position, Cindy Mohler, however, said that Bialota could not revoke voter registrations, even if elected.
More than 160 registered voters who have listed a Rapid City Walmart in South Dakota as their address are at the center of a debate between two candidates for Pennington County auditor
There are 162 registered voters who currently list the north-side Rapid City Walmart as their address, according to records from the county auditor’s office.
Bialota said, ‘I am shocked that there are hundreds of illegal voters registered here in Pennington County, between the hundreds registered to vote who supposedly live at Walmart or others registering at other private businesses and homes, that they don’t own, live or work at.’
Mohler, who is currently the county’s chief deputy auditor, said the auditor’s office doesn’t have the authority under federal or state law to revoke a voter’s registration for listing a Walmart address.
She added, ‘If there’s nothing in the state statute that says they can’t do that, you’re doing a disservice to those people who want to vote if you remove them from the voter rolls.’
But Bialota wrote on Facebook on Friday that is against the law in the state of South Dakota ‘to register to vote at commercial or industrial property.’
The winner of the June 5 Republican primary between James Bialota (left) and Cindy Mohler (right) will be elected to the job of Pennington County Auditor due to lack of other candidates
Bialota wrote on Facebook on Friday that it’s not legal in the state of South Dakota ‘to register to vote at commercial or industrial property’
Bialota has pledged to ‘update the voter list and bring equality back to the election process’
Current Auditor Julie Pearson said the practice originated from individuals who travel full-time in recreational vehicles.
These individuals oftentimes stay overnight in parking lots such as Walmart, the world’s largest retailer that’s headquartered in Arkansas.
Many RV owners now register to vote in South Dakota through mail-forwarding companies, she said.
The winner of the June 5 Republican primary will be elected to the job because there are no other candidates.
Mohler said the auditor’s office doesn’t have the authority under federal or state law to revoke a voter’s registration for listing a Walmart address