Minnesota elections chief touts that "system worked" after woman charged with voter fraud for mailing ballot for deceased mother
MINNEAPOLIS — Minnesota Secretary of State Steve Simon praised local election officials in Itasca County after they flagged two absentee ballots for voter fraud, which led to a 50-year-old woman being criminally charged.
According to the criminal complaint, the county sheriff's office spoke to the woman who admitted she filled out her deceased mother's absentee ballot and signed her mother's name on the envelope earlier this month. She said her mom was a staunch supporter of former President Donald Trump and intended to vote for him, but passed away before she could, the complaint said. Her mother died on Aug. 31 before early voting began.
Court documents also say the woman filled out her own absentee ballot, and forged her mother's signature as a witness. She faces three felonies.
"I was thrilled to hear about that case, because it's an example where the system worked exactly as it was supposed to work. It was intercepted, it was detected, it was caught, and that person's second vote, that illegal vote, was not counted," said Secretary of State Steve Simon during a news conference on Tuesday. "That person is now subject to legal consequences. And that's exactly what Minnesotans should expect, and that's exactly what the law is supposed to produce that kind of outcome."
Simon on Tuesday assured Minnesota voters that security at polling places has intensified since the 2020 election. He said he's aware of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security bulletin warning of domestic extremists using violence against election officials and infrastructure to "prevent perceived fraud or to retaliate against it."
The warning comes just one week before Election Day and follows ballot drop boxes being set on fire in Oregon and Washington, which destroyed hundreds of ballots. Simon noted those states are mail-only voting states, meaning there are many more boxes like them there than in Minnesota, where they are rare.
But when there is a ballot drop box, state law requires 24/7 surveillance, he explained.
"That makes a hard fall less likely, in my judgment, that someone would contemplate or consider an attack of that kind because they're probably going to be recorded and tracked," he said.
He was coy about details about security plans, arguing he did not want to give a "roadmap" to people seeking to cause disruptions, but reiterated that Minnesota's laws about access and conduct in the polling places should make voters feel confident in their safety.
"As we head into the election, we're in a very, very good position to continue as we always have to make voting a very safe and calm experience in Minnesota," he said.
He also told reporters he believes Minnesota will have most if not all of its results on Election Night, though in other states like Pennsylvania, it will take days because their law prohibits processing absentee ballots until after the polls close, which adds time to counting.
Minnesota was first in the nation for voter turnout for the presidential election four years ago, with nearly 80% of the electorate casting a ballot. Simon expects numbers at least in the 70% percent range.
