House Republicans on Elections Committee Warn Secretary of State Steve Simon About Negligence Within Sample Ballot Distribution

St. Paul, MN –– Yesterday, Co-Chair Daune Quam (R-24A) and Vice Co-Chair Pam Altendorf (R-20A) of the Minnesota House Elections Finance and Policy Committee sent a memo to Secretary of State Steve Simon regarding the Office of the Secretary of State’s posting of sample ballots from 15 counties that do not contain any distinguishing features differentiating them from official ballots.

Affected counties include Becker, Beltrami, Big Stone, Cass, Dodge, Grant, Mille Lacs, Mower, Otter Tail, Pope, Renville, Roseau, Steele, Traverse, and Waseca.

The memo details how “publishing printable sample ballots with the words ‘Official Ballot’ displayed” undermines bipartisan efforts to restore public trust in Minnesota’s election processes. The representatives call for these sample ballots, which are currently available on the Office of the Secretary of State’s website, to be removed and replaced with versions containing a “SAMPLE” watermark or another indicator that they are not to be tabulated as real votes. They remark that the ability to print and submit these ballots leaves the 15 affected counties vulnerable to attempted fraud and that the Secretary of State’s publication of these ballots was “grossly negligent.” 

 

The memo was co-signed by Rep. Ben Davis (R-6A), Rep. Jimmy Gordon (R-28A), Rep. Joe McDonald (R-29A), and Rep. Drew Roach (R-58B).

A copy of the memo is pictured below.