South Dakota Attorney General Marty Jackley says the ballot explanation on Amendment P is being changed.
The move comes after State Senator Stan Adelstein challenged Secretary of State Jason Gant in court over failing to provide balance with both pro and con statements on the ballot.
SDPB’s Charles Michael Ray reports that while this Amendment P now has an opposing statement three other Amendments on the ballot are still blank.
The court found the Secretary of State broke the law when he failed to provide an opposing statement on Amendment P. South Dakota Attorney General Marty Jackley says this is the only Constitutional Amendment that will provide both for and against statements. Three other constitutional amendments have no opposing statements.
“The court made a decision that there was a minimal cost involved, that it provided more information to the voters, and that information the Secretary of state is now included with the new ballots,” says Jackely.
Jackley says the cost is estimated at $65-hundred dollars. Earlier Gant stated he sought people to present opposing views but had no takers. In a press release Adelstein called for Gant’s resignation. He says that 15-thousand absentee ballots have already been cast. Adelstein says those voters didn’t get a chance to read both sides of the issues.