Minnesota NEW THIRD Movement part II of
The Great Secretary of State Debate
Crockett's "Issues" is too crowded, too vague, there's no idea about what she would actually do now, when we're in a crisis. There's no reference to authority, only her unattached opinions...
We need ACTION, not Kim Crockett. Make Elections Great Again!
Kim says to "Vote local, Photo ID and safeguard the vote to 'Encourage Minnesota to return to the civic traditions that unite us on Election Day.'.
Steve would immediately introduce Voter ID as an option and get rid of voting machines that do not meet Minnesota's stiff legal standards
Kim seems to think elections and election law changes are Minnesota love-ins! Well they're not. Kim neatly overlooks that the Minnesota DFL cheats in elections by barring men, whites, straight voters etc. from participation and voting in nominations for the general election ballot! That is election chaos and spills directly over into the streets of Minneapolis and lock-downs around the state. And when that's combined with tightly redistricted "blue" Congressional districts, they dominate and destroy the Twin Cities where most of the votes come from. Part of this domination is firm opposition to voter ID as "discriminatory" (even though they would be available to all eligible voters and would actually HELP them vote!) They trounced a Minnesota Constitutional amendment proposal trying to get people to identify themselves when they vote.
STEVE CARLSON would immediately introduce Voter ID as an option, and immediately dismantle same-day voting and voting machines which do not conform with MSA 206.80(a)(4)
Crockett says she'll "work with the legislature to pass common sense reforms....(e.g. require photo ID and provisional ballots; cross-check voter registration lists against other databases; review ballot security for absentee ballots; tighten chain of custody requirements; require random post-election audits; require citizenship to vote)." This is, unfortunately Pollyanna. She needs to start calling out the elections now. She's in the national press saying the 2020 election was rigged but now she just needs a few legislative fixes. Basically Crockett says the Republicans aren't going to do anything about election integrity but tinker around with the Minnesota DFL. It's not enough.
Require election judges to accept/reject all absentee ballots.
"On Election Day, citizen election judges from the major parties work together to safeguard our votes."
First, with so many early voting days it's not clear what Crockett means by "Election Day". But Kim Crockett also forgets to ask the question, why do we have so many poll judges? She includes the Absentee Voter Ballot Boards and complains "Why is Sec. Simon discouraging counties and cities from following the party balance rule when they accept/reject absentee ballots? In 2020, 58% of the vote was cast by absentee ballot."
So as an opponent of Kim Crockett, I understand the gist of her argument--We're allowing fifty eight percent of the ballots to come in as "absentee ballots". Many of them mail-in. Many of them drop-box with little or no observation, many of them by professional mules from non-profit organizations. But never does Crockett think to stop and ask, "should we have this many absentee ballots in our state with all the irregularities that are going on?"
Look at why Kim thinks the Republican goal in the Secretary of State race should be increasing Republican poll judges counting absentee ballots (I disagree with her). First, here's the statute:
MN.Stat.203B.23 ABSENTEE BALLOT BOARD.
"Subdivision 1.Establishment. The county auditor must establish an absentee ballot board for ballots issued under sections 203B.16 to 203B.27. The board may consist of staff trained as election judges, in which case, the board is exempt from sections 204B.19, subdivision 5, and 204C.15, relating to party balance in appointment of judges and to duties to be performed by judges of different major political parties."
§Subd. 2.Duties. The absentee ballot board must examine all returned absentee ballot envelopes for ballots issued under sections 203B.16 to 203B.27 and accept or reject the absentee ballots in the manner provided in section 203B.24.
But it's not just "Steve Simon" that has stopped any semblance of fairness in checking the kinds of Democrats we've seen in Philadelphia shoving elections observers outside violently and boarding the windows while they carry on their "Count". No, the Minnesota LEGISLATURE passed this as a law. So, point number one shut down the absentee ballots that do not have a justifiable excuse to vote absentee. And of course for any remaining absentee voters we must require signatures and verifications so we know who they are and we have a control for election integrity.
Ban third-party voter interference.
"Progressive organizations flood our mailboxes with official looking ballot applications, sometimes with pre-filled data, that purposely confuse voters."
Mark Zuckerberg spent over $400 million to get out the vote in “blue” districts across the nation, including over $7 million in Minnesota. His organization (CTCL) is now spending $80 million to infiltrate election operations at the local level to "help" with websites and databases. What could go wrong?
Reverse mail ballot trend in Greater Minnesota.
Sec. Simon has worked hard to shift Greater Minnesota townships to vote by mail instead of voting in-person. In 2020, 1,345 precincts out of about 4,000 closed, up from 588 precincts in 2014 when Simon took office. Only registered voters get a ballot; if you do not have one or do not want to put it in the mail, you must drive to the county seat, or miss the vote... Read More
The number of precincts in Greater Minnesota designated as “mail-in” balloting precincts has grown dramatically under Secretary of State Steve Simon (Democrat). When Simon became Secretary of State in 2014, there were 588 mail-in precincts. In 2018, there were 948 mail-in balloting precincts, today, there are 1,345. That is a 42 percent increase.
In a mail-ballot precinct, registered voters are automatically sent a ballot. If you are not registered, you do not get a ballot or a notice from the state. Options are limited if you want to vote early in person or on Election Day.
There are concerns that this policy can lead to voters in Greater Minnesota scrambling to vote on Election Day, especially if they are not registered. And there are concerns about what happens to ballots sent to voters who have moved, or what happens to ballots once they are placed in the mail system.
An Update from Kim
Townships that opted for mail ballots over the years had different reasons, including Covid concerns in 2020. As Kim talks with township residents and commissioners, she is thinking that mail ballots for very small townships IF DONE PROPERLY can still be a good option. Mail ballots used to be processed by the township clerk who knew everyone; assuming an honest/competent clerk, that personal knowledge provided an extra measure of integrity/accountability. But now all the ballots go to the county auditor. What if townships could get those ballots back to the township level?
Mail ballots, even if counted locally, however, can leave unregistered voters out in the cold, and there is still the problem of mail ballots floating around that can be voted improperly (there is no strict ballot inventory which can lead to fraud).
Another idea Kim is exploring for a return to in-person voting in mail ballot townships: grants for tiny townships that are unfairly burdened by the cost of complying with federal and state regulations (cost of equipment and polling place if there is not township hall). Stay tuned on this.
To find out if you live in a mail-in balloting precinct, please visit the polling place finder on the Secretary of State’s polling place finder at: Polling Place Finder.
If you live in one of those townships and want to reverse the township’s decision, use the sample resolution here and follow the instructions in the Minnesota Senate memo here. Citizens who wish to reverse the mail ballot designation should approach their elected officials to get it on the agenda well in advance of Election Day.
The SOS Website FAQ for Mail-In Precincts can be read here.
Enforce the law against internet connections.
Citizens and election judges should be empowered to confirm that vote tabulating equipment is not connected to the internet until the polls are closed on Election Night. Elected officials should be required to certify that the law was followed.
Censure unconstitutional changes to laws.
In 2020, Sec. Simon extended Election Day seven (7) days and waived signature and postmark requirements by “consent decree” and without legislative authorityto do so, violating the constitution, according to the 8thCircuit Court of Appeals.
Reduce 46-day “early voting” season.
Why are voters asked to decide 6 weeks before Election Day? How much does that cost taxpayers, and burden election officials? Instead of 46 long days of “early voting” let’s return to a reasonable week or two before Election Day.
Reduce reliance on technology; plug the holes.
We have entrusted our most important power as citizens, the right to choose our representatives, to technology we do not understand or control. It is time to identify and plug security holes in both hardware and software to ensure the integrity of voting systems. Is high-tech really saving money, time or making elections more secure?
Protect vulnerable citizens.
The elderly, homeless, and non-English speaking citizens are being exploited for their votes. Why do election rules allow and encourage this?
Oppose the expansion of Ranked-Choice Voting (RCV).
RCV promises voters better results through "coalition voting." But in practice this overly complicated voting scheme creates chaos, dilutes the power of your vote—and gives some voters more influence over outcomes than others. It also violates “one person, one vote.” The so-called "FairVote" movement pushing RCV diabolically undermines fair elections in the name of fairness! Minneapolis is the poster child.
