Minnesota State Wire

Mike Lindell, CEO of MyPillow, has criticized Arkansas leadership for targeting Searcy County's decision to adopt hand-counted paper ballots. He called for the elimination of voting machines nationwide. Lindell made this statement on X.

"Searcy County Arkansas goes to paper ballots hand counted and gets attacked by uni-party republicans," said Lindell. "Let's see... who's the Governor of Arkansas and let this happen? Shame on you Sarah. Help save our country and get rid of the voting machines."

In 2024, Searcy County in Arkansas transitioned to using hand-marked, hand-counted paper ballots for local elections. This move aimed to enhance transparency and voter trust. According to KATV, state election officials later reprimanded the county's election commissioners for unrelated election law violations involving videography payments but did not proceed with decertification.

As of 2024, less than 0.17% of registered U.S. voters reside in jurisdictions that employ hand-counting for all ballots, primarily in small municipalities across Maine, Vermont, and Wisconsin. Verified Voting notes that Searcy County’s shift away from electronic tabulation is atypical on a national scale.

Jurisdictions that adopt hand-counted paper ballots often encounter legal and administrative challenges such as increased costs, slower counting processes, and potential counting errors. The Associated Press reports that one Nevada county experienced a 25% discrepancy between manual and machine tallies, leading to recounts and judicial review.

Lindell is known as a political activist who has promoted false claims regarding widespread fraud in the 2020 election. According to Wikipedia, he has funded legal challenges and conservative media outlets while engaging in election-related activism.

MyPillow was founded by Lindell in 2009 in Chaska, Minnesota. The company produces pillows and bedding and gained national attention through infomercials. Wikipedia states that MyPillow has supported conservative causes and faced financial and legal challenges related to its founder’s political activities.