STURGIS – The City of Sturgis will reconvene the Municipal Canvassing Board on Monday, June 8, to publicly review discrepancies identified during the canvassing of the June 2, special election and determine whether the election results should be certified.

The City Council, serving as the Municipal Canvassing Board, met June 4, to canvass the results of Tuesday’s special election. While canvassing the vote, council members found some discrepancies.

While the discrepancies did not appear to affect the outcome of any race, the board recessed the meeting to allow additional review and ensure the proper election procedures were followed before certifying the results.

Following the meeting, Finance Officer and Election Official Ann Bertolotto conducted additional research and consulted with representatives from the South Dakota Secretary of State’s Office, Meade County election officials, municipal finance officers from other South Dakota towns, and legal counsel familiar with election procedures.

That review determined that the circumstances identified during the canvass did not meet the statutory conditions necessary to require a recount. Instead, state election procedures call for the canvassing board to identify and document the discrepancies, determine whether they affect the election outcome, and, if they do not, certify the results as submitted by election workers.

“Out of an abundance of caution, we wanted to thoroughly review the situation and ensure we understood the proper process before moving forward,” Sturgis Mayor Pro Tempore Tony Dargatz said. “Our goal has always been to maintain public confidence in the election and ensure the results are accurate and properly certified.”

During Monday’s meeting, the canvassing board will publicly review the discrepancies discovered during the canvassing process, validate that those discrepancies do not affect the outcome of the election, and determine whether the official results of the June 2 election should be certified. Details regarding the discrepancies will be presented as part of that public review.

Once the canvassing board completes its work and certifies the results, Mayor-elect Rod Bradley and Ward 1 Council Member-elect Terry Keszler can be sworn into office.

“This situation was unusual, but the additional review confirmed that the discrepancies identified do not impact the outcome of the election,” Dargatz said. “We wanted to exhaust every avenue available to ensure we were proceeding correctly and transparently.”

The special meeting will be held at 6 p.m. Monday, June 8, at Sturgis City Hall. You can watch the meeting online here: PIOSturgis - YouTube