I have been hearing a rumor that City Councilor Sue Aguilar, representative from the Southeast District, was delivering election ballots and picking up ballots from polling places during Tuesday's school board/city council and charter revision election.
I don't normally buy into rumors because they are just that, rumors. However, I have heard this on numerous occasions since Tuesday's election and today it comes from a good enough source that it bears outing. It is clear that there were problems with the election Tuesday when polling places ran out of ballots and ballots needed to be transported from other locations.
A sitting city council member has no business being involved in the election process, whatsoever. It is highly irregular and begs the question why these ballots were outside an election officer's official custody.
Who was actually in charge of this election process? We know that there were three fingers in the recent election pie - Auditor Bob Litz, City Clerk Lorie Hogstad and School District representative Bev Chase. In past elections, these official election officers hire election workers to do specific tasks.
It will be interesting to see what the legal ramifications are, who will investigate this matter and what effect this may have on the election. ARGUS LEADER, show us your investigative prowess and get on this story. I know for a fact, you know about this as well. My non-city employee source says City Hall is already talking about it.
I do know that both Sue and Michelle took E-Polling training, they were visible in a media video taking the class. At the time CR asked me if they were going to partake in volunteering, and I told her 'doubtful' that that would be improper. I assumed they were taking the class for knowledge reasons. So now we have councilors giving money to other candidates and councilors delivering ballots. Unbelievable.
ReplyDeleteDoes this city council have any idea on conduct and boundaries? I once again shake my head and wonder what the hell they are thinking when their intelligence and common sense fails them yet again.
ReplyDeleteUnbelievable...or rather believable given the ego of some of the Sioux Falls City Councilors. Yes, the press should be reporting on this situation and the State/City officials should be investigating as well.
ReplyDeleteArgus Leader investigative prowess? Well, we can hope...
ReplyDeleteIt's not just the Council, Litz is either completely incompetant or he's knee deep in some backroom antics with MMM amd/or Diamond Jim.
ReplyDeleteI cannot believe that Council person Aguilar did anything that would affect the election results. If there is any truth to the circulating rumors, I suspect that she may have behaved naively. She was probably asked to transport some materials and agreed to help out. The person or persons that asked her to do this should never have asked her. Could this be the result of the fact that they dismissed a perfectly competent city clerk and replaced her with someone who is not as experienced or as astute. Or was this a setup to attack her credibility.
ReplyDeleteWell, Ellis at the Argus is aware of it. I brought it up on the '100 Eyes' show today w/ special guest Staggers. Ellis and especially Staggers reaction was disbelief, Staggers even said that it wasn't right. Lalley defended it though, saying she has volunteered in the past. Yeah, when she wasn't a councilor. I can't believe he didn't think there was anything wrong with it. And some say the Argus is a little bias, get outta here.
ReplyDeleteI'm sure someone from the media will pick it up, since they get all of their local stories from this blog and mine. :)
Lalley should not defend anyone. Every time he opens his mouth he displays either his ignorance or his arrogance and bias. He has some reporters who try to do a really good job of trying to report the news. Lalley is always trying to make the news. He should just let his reporters do their investigative work and report their findings. The rest of us are smart enough to interpret what the reporters find.
ReplyDeleteThe Argus reads this blog. Will they print anything about it? Doubtful. Our local blowhard, the dean of VPU, reads this blog. Will he say anything? Again...doubtful. Not nearly enough Obama or democratic party hate in it for him.
ReplyDeletePolly