PIERRE, S.D. (MITCHELLNOW) Secretary of State Monae Johnson is warning South Dakotans to be aware of scammers. Citizens have reported receiving calls from the 605-area code from people representing themselves as members of the South Dakota Secretary of State’s Office. They are not. The Secretary of State’s Office is not calling South Dakota voters.
These fraudulent callers are trying to convince voters to ask to have their signatures removed from the abortion rights initiated petition. These scammers say they are from the South Dakota Integrity Committee or the Petition Integrity Commission. In reality, there are no such entities within the South Dakota Secretary of State’s Office.
Citizens who receive these calls are urged to contact the Secretary of State’s Office, the Division of Elections at elections@state.sd.us or to call 605-773-3537.
A group calling itself South Dakota petition Integrity did form a campaign finance committee with the Secretary of State’s Office, but it is unclear if this group is affiliated with the calls or simply has a similar name.
Secretary of State Johnson has referred the matter to law enforcement.