Five people were possibly denied the right to vote on Election Day after someone from a student-run registration drive failed to turn in voter registration forms on time.

The Brookings County Finance Office received an envelope on Oct. 20 with a return address of simply “SDSU.” The envelope contained nine voter registration forms that were past the registration deadline, according to Brookings County Deputy Finance Officer Stacy Steffensen.

South Dakota State Law states registration forms must be turned in within 10 days of when they are filled out. The forms received by the county were dated Sept. 23 8212; several weeks past the deadline, which is a Class 2 Misdemeanor.

Four of the nine people whose forms were sent past deadline went to vote early on Sept. 29 and 30. The error was noticed, and they were re-registered. Five, however, were never registered. Three of the five non-registrants could not be reached. It’s unclear if they attempted to vote.

Tiffany Krause was one of those five that was not registered. On Nov. 2, she did not get to vote.

According to Krause, she registered with a group supporting Initiated Measure 13, the South Dakota Medical Marijuana Act.

Official Union reservation forms obtained by The Collegian revealed Students for a Sensible Drug Policy and Campus Women’s Coalition were the only groups registering voters on The Union Main Street on Sept. 23.

Lindsay Uhrich was also one of the five students who was not registered. Although she couldn’t remember which group she registered with, she said it was on The Union Main Street by the SDSU Bookstore.

Students for a Sensible Drug Policy’s table was labeled Area 8, which 8212; between the two groups 8212; is closest to the SDSU Bookstore, located directly between the bookstore and eSDSU Laptop Center. The Campus Women’s Coalition was at Area 9, which is located right next to Area 8, closer to the Information Exchange.

Officer Darin Haider, investigator for the Brookings County Sheriff’s Department, said he is working to find the person directly responsible for the crime.

“I haven’t narrowed it down to exactly which group,” Haider said. “I’m not looking to charge a specific group of people or a person in charge of a group of people. I’m looking for the person that mailed these applications in.”

Melissa Beadle, president of Students for A Sensible Drug Policy, said she and the other groups in The Union shared duties in taking in registration forms to the Brookings County Courthouse.

“I didn’t take responsibility for getting the voter registration forms to the courthouse,” Beadle said. “I should’ve taken I bigger role. I always trust someone else (from either Students for a Sensible Drug Policy or other organizations registering voters) to get the registration forms to the courthouse.”

Molly Miles, president of the Campus Women’s Coalition, said they handed their forms off to another group. Though, like Beadle, she was unsure of exactly what group.

Other groups on campus registered voters as well, but not on the day in question. Eric Haiar, SA state and local chair, said SA was responsible for their voter information forms when they registered voters.

Hassan Ali, vice president of College Democrats, said they also were responsible for their own forms as well.

The problem, according to both Haider and Beadle, was organization.

“One central person needs to be responsible for [registration forms],” Steffensen said. “That should be stressed going into the registration drive.”

Although the crime is the equivalent to a speeding ticket, “It’s serious to the person that can’t vote,” Haider said. “It’s unfortunate …”

Krause said she isn’t upset anymore, although she was frustrated on Election Day.

“I thought voting wouldn’t be a problem,” she said. “I wish that one person would have been more responsible.”

Steffensen stressed the importance of taking responsibility for an issue as important as voting.

“I don’t want to discourage people from holding registration drives,” Steffensen said, “but you have to realize that those people are putting their voter registration 8212; their voting ability 8212; in your hands thinking you’re going to those forms where they need to be.”

Beadle said she felt badly about the entire situation.

“My deepest apologies to [Krause] and anyone else,” Beadle said. “It’s horrible. We don’t want students to lose faith in registering to vote on campus. We want it to be credible.”

Beadle encouraged students to continue to register early and on campus for 2012 election.

“We’re going to be more organized next time,” she said.

Krause has her doubts.

“In the future, I am very hesitant to register with a student group on campus,” she said. “I don’t know if I’d do that again.

On Nov. 2 South Dakota residents will have the chance to use their constitutional right to vote. Signs have been posted, commercials have been running and information pamphlets have been mailed, but all of that will soon come to an end.

In 2002 South Dakota voted to ban smoking in enclosed workplaces with the Clean Indoor Air Act, but the bill excluded bars, restaurants with liquor licenses, casino gaming floors, liquor stores, hotel rooms and tobacco retail stores. This year, voters will vote on Referred Law 12, which will completely ban smoking inside public establishments.

“It’s very important and will have a strong impact on many of our lives,” said John Huber, president of the South Dakota State Medical Association.

Seth Johnson, a senior animal science major, opposes Referred Law 12 and said the bill is another way for government to infringe on our daily lives and that the government has no right to step in.

“If you choose to go to a bar you have to accept the fact that you are surrounding yourself with people that will be smoking,” Johnson said.

While Johnson argues Referred Law 12 will hurt business for establishments that allow smoking, Catey Watkins, a senior mass communications major and bartender at Sully’s Irish Pub, disagrees.

“Many of our customers are regulars that will come here, regardless of the smoking ban,” Watkins said. “Other bars like Jim’s Tap and Skinners might be a little more smoker-friendly because they already have outdoor patios, but I feel we will be just fine.” Watkins said.

Michelle Oswald, a senior political science and Spanish major, thinks Referred Law 12 is a good thing and banning smoking completely should have been done a long time ago.

“I like the idea that it protects people who don’t want to be in a smoke-filled environment,” Oswald said. “Smokers still have the option to go outside.”

In the last few years some of South Dakota’s neighbors have gone completely smokeless. Nebraska passed the Clean Indoor Air Act in February of 2008, while Minnesota passed the Freedom to Breathe Act in October 2007.

Huber is confidant people will vote yes on Referred Law 12.

“This ban has begun to spread to many states, and although I feel it will pass, it’s just a matter of time before [the Occupational Safety and Health Administration] steps in and makes it a federal law,” Huber said.

Amendment L of the South Dakota Constitution will be included in the ballot for the 2010 midterm election on Nov. 2.

The amendment is proposing a change to Article XIII of the constitution regarding the allocation of the state Cement Enterprise Sales Trust Fund.

The state cement plant was sold about 10 years ago. A trust fund to benefit South Dakota citizens was created from the sale of the plant.

Secretary of State Chris Nelson said an agreement was set to allocate $12 million every year from the trust fund to the State general fund.

“The downturn of the stock market has decreased the value of the trust fund by about $103 million, and the proponents wanted to do something about it,”

Nelson said.

He said the required transfer of $12 million every year will ultimately deplete the trust fund.

In past years, the funds have helped balance the state budget, and improve programs like K-12 education, Medicaid, law enforcement, and other aspects of the general fund.

“A lot of people ask “What is the right way to vote?’ and it really depends what the markets are going to do,” Nelson said.

If the amendment were to pass, the amount allocated to the general fund will decrease to $8 million over the next four fiscal years.

“The amendment would leave it up to the legislature to decide the amount transferred by up to four percent of the fund value,” Nelson said.

“Opposition to the amendment “wants to keep transferring $12 million to the general fund because it was the original agreement,” Nelson said. “Opponents think the mandated agreement is important and necessary to keep the principle of the fund.”

A “yes” vote would preserve the fund and change the annual distribution from the cement plant trust fund. Voting “no” is a vote against the constitutional amendment and will not change Article XIII.

One of the many issues voters will have to consider when going to the polls on Nov. 2 is whether to vote “Yes” or “No” on Amendment K.

According to the Save our Secret (SOS) Ballot website, if the amendment passes, the South Dakota Constitution will read:

“The right of individuals to vote by secret ballot is fundamental. If any state or federal law requires or permits an election for public office, for any initiative or referendum, or for any designation or authorization of employee representation, the right of any individual to vote by secret ballot in any such election shall be guaranteed.”

In other words, the proposed amendment to the Constitution would give a person the right to vote by secret ballot to prevent others from knowing how he or she voted. A vote “Yes” is for guaranteeing a right to vote by secret ballot. A vote “No” is against the constitutional amendment.

Bob Burns, distinguished professor emeritus of political science, said currently workers in the labor force could be under pressure to vote a certain way. By having secret ballot voting, it would help allow people to vote the way they wanted without fear of reprimand.

“Labor union leaders would see it as a benefit because it would deny ownership (businesses) influence on outcomes of elections and the pressure to vote a certain way would decrease.”

Burns said by having this on the ballot, South Dakota is more or less “sending a message” to Congress that South Dakota wants to retain secret ballot voting.

Other states are also filing the same initiative, including Arkansas, Missouri, Nevada, and Utah.

Your opponent’s campaign ads criticize you for voting in line with Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi 90 percent of the time, while Sen. Al Franken used your support of Pelosi as a positive. If re-elected, would you vote for Rep. Pelosi for Speaker of the House again?

I’ve disagreed with the speaker a lot and I don’t think she fully understands our part of the country.I voted against the Wall Street bailouts, the trillion dollar health care legislation and cap-and-trade because they weren’t right for South Dakota. While we don’t know who will run for speaker in the leadership election, I will look at all the options the same way I look at every vote.

How are you going to serve your student constituency and higher education?

I am committed to ensure that South Dakotans have access to an affordable, high quality education. I support expanding the Pell Grant and Perkins Loan Programs. While I’m proud of these investments, continued reform and adjustments will be necessary going forward to ensure the funding provided through these programs keeps pace with the rising cost of tuition and an increasingly competitive global economy.

You went against your party by voting against the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. You were against it then, so if re-elected, and this issue came up, would you vote to repeal or deny funding to the act?

I voted against the trillion dollar health care bill and stood up to my party leadership.Although I worked to improve the health care bill, in the end, it was simply too expensive, and I wasn’t satisfied that it would bring down costs over the long term.My position on repeal is simple: I want to keep the good parts of the bill and fix the bad parts. We shouldn’t throw out the baby with the bath water. There are provisions of the legislation that enjoy widespread bipartisan support. Repealing the entire bill, as my opponent advocates, would repeal these good provisions too.

Your opponent has said numerous times you’re “wrong for South Dakota.” Why are you right for South Dakota?

The last thing Congress needs is another politician who puts partisan politics ahead of what’s best for South Dakota. Our lone voice in the House needs to do what’s right for our state with every vote.For me, that often includes working across party lines to represent our interests.There’s too much at stake to put politics ahead of what’s best for South Dakota.

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You have a different approach to how you would cast your congressional vote, if elected. Please elaborate on this.

Secure Advisory Voting is a technology that will allow South Dakota citizens to record their decisions on major national policy issues on a regular basis (quarterly), and thus direct my actions on their behalf in Congress. Hopefully, this will get folks to re-engage in the political process and not tune out. South Dakota would be the first state to attempt this. A walk-through is available at Goal No. 1 on www.sdindie21.org.

How are you going to serve your student constituency and higher education?

I’m very concerned about students graduating with significant debt already built up. I’d like to initiate a third-party examination of university administration in South Dakota to see whether priorities need to be adjusted.

The other big concern is that there seem to be very limited opportunities for graduates to work in their chosen fields due to the recession. I believe the Fair Tax concept is the key to revitalizing our economy and creating adequate career opportunities for the 21st century. Please Google “Fair Tax” and read up on all the advantages.

What sets you apart from you major party opponents?

I have concrete and workable plans for balancing the budget, reigning in an irresponsible Congress, revitalizing our economy and advancing citizen involvement in their own governance. My opponents have party-approved platitudes.

Congresswoman Herseth Sandlin has six years government experience. Mrs. Noem has four. I have 31 years of full-time public administration experience at the community, state, federal and international levels. A full biography is available on my website.

Why should South Dakotans and the students of SDSU vote for you?

This race is a test to see whether a citizen with excellent credentials and innovative concepts (but one who refuses to swear allegiance to a political party) can compete with their cash-driven marketing machines. I think all South Dakotans should vote Indie, letting the Republicans and the Democrats know they don’t own the system after all.

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Many Republicans are running on repealing or denying funding to the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. If elected, and this issue came up, would you vote to repeal or deny funding to the act?

A majority of South Dakotans opposed ObamaCare from the start, and a majority still favor repeal.I would vote to repeal and replace the health care bill.It costs nearly $1 trillion dollars and includes over $500 billion in taxes and fees.We need to focus health care reform on common sense solutions that cut costs, increase access and don’t break the bank.

As someone who has attended three universities in South Dakota, including SDSU, how are you going to serve your student constituency and higher education?

As college students know, tuition continues to increase faster than inflation.Making sure that a college education is still affordable and within reach for South Dakotans is a key priority.We also need to make sure that we have a vibrant economy that creates jobs for South Dakota’s college graduates.

Rep. Herseth Sandlin presents herself as a moderate. She voted against the Democratic-led health care bill and the Wall Street bailout, which a generally accepted as views in line with conservatives and the views of many South Dakotans. Why is she “wrong for South Dakota?” What would you do differently than Rep. Herseth Sandlin?

My opponent touts herself as fiscally conservative, but she has voted for every major spending bill since the Democrats took control of Congress, including the $800 billion stimulus.I support rolling back spending to pre-stimulus/pre-bailout levels.Students in college now should know their share of the national debt is now $42,000 per person.I want to make sure people in college have opportunities and a better standard of living in the future.

Why are you best qualified to represent the state of South Dakota?

I have lived in South Dakota all my life.As a farmer-rancher and small business owner I know how the policies coming out of Washington affect businesses back here in South Dakota. We need a voice in Congress that is going to get tough on out-of-control spending, cut red tape regulations burdening our small businesses and get the economy moving again.I believe I am the best person to do this and preserve a future for our children.

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If elected, how are you going to serve your student constituency and higher education?

I will continue to promote college education through programs such as the Opportunity Scholarship. I will also continue our state’s commitment to university research, as it expands knowledge and drives economic growth. Research grants received by state universities are now over $154 million per year, $100 million more than eight years ago.

Many in higher education, students included, are concerned about faculty raises. SDSU’s faculty has not received a raise in three years. Do you support faculty raises this year?

The budget for the upcoming fiscal year will again be tight. Our university professors are hardworking people, and I will be happy to consider giving them a raise when our state can afford it. While our economy recovers, I will be committed to finding savings wherever I can in order to prevent layoffs.

South Dakota is currently involved in a lawsuit against the federal government over thePatient Protection and Affordable Care Act. Do you support this lawsuit?

I do support the state’s lawsuit in opposition to federal health care reform. The problem with health care in our country is cost, not access. The recent federal health care law increases access, but places a significant, unsustainable financial burden on the states in order to do so.

Medicaid spending as a part of our state budget has increased 68 percent over the past eight years. Rapid Medicaid spending increases are simply unsustainable and make providing funding increases in other important areas of state government, such as higher education, more challenging. What our country needs is meaningful health care reform that helps curb costs, and this law does the opposite.

Why should the people South Dakota elect you as governor?

I believe South Dakotans are looking for four things in their next governor: honesty, experience, leadership and someone that cares about people. I consider myself an honest man.

I also have the experience necessary to be governor. I worked as an attorney, trust officer and CEO of Children’s Home Society. I spent six years in the state legislature and served as lieutenant governor for the last eight years. As governor, I will be South Dakota’s number one salesman, aggressively promoting economic growth in our areas of competitive strength.

A good governor cares about people. I took a pay cut to work at Children’s Home because I wanted to serve others. I ran for governor because I care deeply about South Dakotans and believe I can make a difference.

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If elected, how are you going to serve your student constituency and higher education?

The best indication of my respect for the students and higher education is that I accepted a gubernatorial candidate debate on the campus of SDSU for Oct. 12, and my opponent refused to face you, answer your questions, and defend the Rounds-Daugaard cuts to higher education of $7.5 million in the 2011 budget. I would not balance the state budget on the back of higher education. Students represent our state’s most important natural resource, and a quality education is the most important thing we can provide to help you succeed. Education is not an expense. It is the state’s best investment.

Many in higher education, students included, are concerned about faculty raises. SDSU’s faculty has not received a raise in three years. Do you support faculty raises this year?

Because education is my first priority 8212; and the first priority of the South Dakota Constitution 8212; education will be the first area to have its funding restored and the first to have it increased. But first we must deal with a $107 million dollar deficit. I will eliminate the deficit by government reform and responsible budgeting. I will make state government smaller, more efficient, and more transparent. It’s time to return state government to the citizens and to restore education to our state’s first priority.

South Dakota is currently involved in a lawsuit against the federal government over thePatient Protection and Affordable Care Act. Do you support this lawsuit?

South Dakota should not be suing the United States of America about the health care. The role of the state and the governor is to take the legislation as passed, see how it works for South Dakota, and then make certain that it works for South Dakota. When we find areas where it is not working as well as it should for South Dakotans, the state and the governor should negotiate to improve it, not sue the United States of America to eliminate it.

Why should the people South Dakota elect you as governor?

It’s time for a change. For eight years, the current leadership in Pierre has spent too much money, wasted precious resources, and failed to provide real leadership while conducting the people’s business in secrecy whenever possible. South Dakotans everywhere tell me they’re tired of the same old politics. They want a government that reflects the values of South Dakota: hard working, honest and sensible. They want a government that makes sacrifices when times are tough, just like South Dakota families and businesses. South Dakotans need and want a governor who is a leader. I am that leader.

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Education is the most important function that government provides. I will do my best to provide the funding our elementary, secondary and university systems require, respecting the judgement of teachers and administrators.

Faculty raises have been avoided for three years. Not only that, positions have been canceled and departments and entire colleges have been collapsed into larger units. While tenured professors may be able to stay under these conditions, newer faculty members are likely to seek other positions.We must find a way to assure competent and creative faculty members to maintain quality research and classroom instruction.We must assure faculty raises this year and commit to normal faculty wages in the future.

As the first State President of COHE, I established a reputation as a person who speaks up for faculty and higher education.I will speak out in support of S.D. K-12 and higher education.