Northeast South Dakota News

An organization that seeks to increase voter transparency has added South Dakota to its database, it announced recently. 

VoteRef.com, which describes itself as "a public website dedicated to voter and election data compiled by the Voter Reference Foundation (VRF)," added South Dakota and Oregon to its database, it announced Feb. 18.

“Our quest to build a nationwide database continues,  and as it grows –  with nearly 40% of the country’s population now  included, its usefulness increases exponentially,” Gina Swoboda, VRF executive director, said in a statement.

The goal of the online voter registration database is to increase transparency by maintaining an updated file of registered voters and their most accurate information, according to VRF.

Oregon and South Dakota represent the 17th and 18th states to be added to the database after Alaska, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Virginia and Wisconsin. The site has a goal to complete the database with all 50 states by the end of 2022.

Through the process of reviewing certified election data, the database has the ability to show the discrepancy between number of voters and number of votes cast, according to VRF. Detected discrepancies indicate the need for better record keeping and accountability, VRF states.

Swaboda and the foundation believe the restoration of faith in elections will ensue once full election transparency is obtained nationwide.

"South Dakota and Oregon are vastly different states, but they fit together as puzzle pieces in this innovative effort.” Swaboda said.