Simplified: Two candidates are facing off in the race for Minnehaha County Auditor. Both candidates spoke with Sioux Falls Simplified about their top issues, including election security.
Why it matters
- Incumbent Leah Anderson, a Republican, is running for another term as Minnehaha County Auditor. She is facing a challenge from Democrat Curt Deedrich.
- County auditors play a critical role in running local government. Their duties include managing taxpayer dollars in the county budget and overseeing the election process locally.
- Minnehaha County is the most populous South Dakota county, and includes most of Sioux Falls. That means decisions from local elected officials can have a broad impact on their constituents and beyond – in this case, especially when it comes to local elections.
Let’s meet the candidates
(Candidates are listed in alphabetical order)
- Leah Anderson
- Curt Deedrich
Leah Anderson
Leah Anderson is seeking another term as the Minnehaha County Auditor. She had 29 years of accounting experience before she decided to run for office, which came after she saw “some of our freedoms were taken away during 2020,” she said.
“I saw how quickly things could change and decided to become more involved in what was happening politically,” Anderson said. “I thought the best way I could help was to use my skills and run for a position that I was most qualified for.”
Anderson is 60-years-old and lives in Sioux Falls.
(Leah Anderson was unable to schedule an interview and submitted her responses via email.)
Curt Deedrich
Curt Deedrich is a former property inspector who served as a township assessor and later as county assessor in Illinois. He said he believes his years as an elected official in Illinois provide adequate experience to fulfill the role as Minnehaha County Auditor.
“It’s very intricate work, and it’s something I understand very well from my 17 years in assessments and being part of that large puzzle that determines everybody’s tax bill,” Deedrich said.
Deedrich, age 67, lives in Hartford.
Let’s talk policy
Here’s where the candidates stand on the issues:
What would be your top issue, should you be elected?
Leah Anderson said her goal is to continue serving the residents of Minnehaha County and to look for ways to improve the functions of the auditor’s office. That includes bringing forth a proposal to improve the way the office processes absentee ballots in an effort to improve the timeliness of reporting election night results, she said.
In addition, she said being mindful of the county budget is important to her "because the county relies on taxpayer funds to operate.”
“Currently we are working on improved financial reporting through implementation of a system called ClearGov which will provide more transparency in our financial reporting,” she said.
Curt Deedrich said the current voter count procedure is “just not acceptable.” He said the county needs two or three additional vote counting machines to keep up with the rising population, as well as more space for poll workers to review ballots that can’t be read by the machines.
He acknowledged the county’s plan to renovate and expand its administrative building, which includes the Auditor’s Office, “but that’s going to be years away.”
“In the short term, my goal would be to work with the county commission to find somewhere safe, secure offsite where we could have enough area for at least two more voting machines – if not three – and the teams that go along with that.”
What is your philosophy on election security? Do you believe there needs to be a different approach to securing local elections, and if so, what steps would you take if elected?
Leah Anderson said Minnehaha County has good processes in place to have secure elections, “as long as there are trustworthy people conducting those elections.” She said she would always support audits of local elections.
“I believe audits should consist of more than just counting the ballots,” Anderson said. “An audit should also incorporate random testing of procedures. I will encourage our legislators and the secretary of state to work towards more robust audits of our elections just as we do with our financial records.”
Curt Deedrich said he believes the current election system is “100% secure,” but that it’s critical the county adds more equipment and improves poll working training.
He also pointed to mail-in ballots as an area of improvement. He claimed in the latest Sioux Falls mayoral runoff, the mail-in ballots were sent out too late for voters and that “there was practically no way humanly possible for those to get out of the auditor’s office, into the hands of the voter and back in time based upon the recent performance.”
“I don’t feel there was any attempt from the current auditor to inform people that there was a high probability their ballot would not be counted,” Deedrich said. “I always want to provide more information rather than just the basics.”
What happens next?
Election Day is Nov. 3.
You can check your voter registration on the Secretary of State's voter information portal. The voter registration deadline is Oct. 19.
