South Dakota Attorney General alleges petition violations amid abortion rights matter

RAPID CITY, S.D. (KOTA) -South Dakota Attorney General Marty Jackley claims he received evidence revealing alleged violations of South Dakota law by petition circulators.

On Thursday, the anti-abortion group Life Defense Fund sent out a release containing a letter from the Attorney General to Dakotans 4 Health, which is circulating petitions to get abortion rights on the South Dakota ballot. In that letter, Jackley says his office has received evidence, including video evidence of people signing petitions more than once.

Jackley said in the letter provided by Life Defense Fund, ‘The Attorney General’s office has also received evidence, including video, indicating petition signatories may be signing more than once. As you are aware, South Dakota codified law 2-1-6 makes it a criminal offense for a person who knows that they have already signed a constitutional amendment to sign another petition for the same constitutional amendment,’ said Jackley.

However, Rick Weiland, a representative for Dakotans for Health, says he has yet to see the alleged video evidence and that the misconduct has been on the other side, claiming anti-abortion activists have been harassing petition circulators and creating a chaotic environment.

‘A lot of them are young women, and they are being stalked, if you will, literally followed around by these anti-choice, anti-democracy protesters who are calling them baby killers and trying to get in the way of people who want to sign and people who are trying to circulate,’ said Dakotans for Health Representative Rick Weiland.

We tried to reach out to Jackley, and he declined to comment beyond the letter. If the petition receives enough valid signatures, voters would decide on the controversial issue during the November 2024 election.

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