SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO) — It took more than 500 people to work the 2022 election in Minnehaha County, auditor Ben Kyte said.

“It might be a little bit more. That’s the nature of the beast,” Kyte said of the numbers needed for elections in the county.

Kyte shared the 500-plus number with the county board of commissioners Tuesday morning and in a KELOLAND interview.

A quick way to add up the numbers needed is to take four workers needed at each of the 75 precincts in the county. That’s 300 workers right there. Some of those precincts require 5 to 6 workers so add in another 50 or so workers, he said.

One-hundred workers were needed for the absentee ballots. The county had 16,658 absentee ballots to sort and count.

“I also hired miscellaneous staff…,” Kyte said. Those individuals helped with absentee voting, voting registration, delivery of supplies and helped with the ballots delivered to the courthouse on election night, Kyte said.

Generally, he said, “(the public) doesn’t appreciate how many people it takes,” Kyte said.

A total of 75,579 votes were cast in the election. That accounts for a 58% voter turnout of 130,8727 registered voters.

Of those 75,579 votes, 16,658 (22%) were absentee ballots and 58,921 were (78%) were those who voted on election day.

State law requires the county to provide voting on site at nursing homes and assisted living centers.

Staff spent time throughout October working with in-person voting at 27 nursing homes and assisted living centers in the county, Kyte said.

“It’s just one of the jobs,” Kyte said of that type of voting.

The county also handled a recount in State House District 15. Ninety-seven votes had separated third place finisher Republican Joni Tschetter from second place in the race. The top two advance to the State House of Representatives.

Tschetter requested the re-count which was conducted on Nov. 28. The recount resulted in two votes being changed, Kyte said.

“That’s generally what happens with a recount, there’s not much of a change,” Kyte said.

Kyte said in a Nov. 11 KELOLAND News story that several voting precincts in the high growth areas of the county had longer waits. In his Dec. 6, meeting briefing, Kyte said some wait times were more than 30 minutes.

Kyte informed the county board that county GIS staff and his office are meeting to determine the precincts and to recommend changes to precinct boundaries. That could result in additional precincts.