Minnesota Senate
Minnesota House of Representatives
PRESS RELEASE
??
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
February 11, 2026
Senate Contact: Ryan Featherstone | 763-443-1496 | ryan.featherstone@mnsenate.gov
House Contact: Marlee Schlegel | marlee.schlegel@house.mn.gov
Minnesota DFL House & Senate Elections Committee Members Urge Congressional Delegation to Vote Against S. 1383
Federal Legislation Crafted to Disenfranchise Minnesota Voters and Undermine Our Nation-Leading Election Systems
St. Paul, Minn. – Today, the DFL membership of the Minnesota Senate Elections Committee and the Minnesota House of Representatives Elections Finance and Government Operations Committee sent this joint letter to Minnesota’s congressional delegation, urging them to vote against S. 1383 (H.R. 7296) a bill set out to disenfranchise Minnesota voters, exposing election administrators to excess liability, and turn over sensitive voter data to the federal government.
One excerpt from the letter reads:
“S. 1383’s requirement that voters provide documentary proof of citizenship each time they register to vote would silence Minnesotan voices in every community across the state. Only about half of Americans have U.S. passports, and only approximately 15% of Minnesotans have enhanced drivers’ licenses, and Real IDs would not suffice. That leaves at least 1.5 million Minnesota voters forced to rely on a certified birth certificate to prove their citizenship—if they even have one. Many voters, including the nearly 70 million women nationwide who changed their names after marriage, would face additional hurdles that could strip them of their right to vote.”
Minnesota’s election system has long been recognized as one of the most efficient and accessible in the nation. Potential threats, such as S. 1383, undermine our state's election reputation.
The letter also highlights, “The bills’ voter ID requirement is equally out of step with Minnesota values. In 2012, Minnesotans decisively rejected a voter ID constitutional amendment, recognizing it for what it was: a discriminatory barrier to the ballot box.”
The United States House of Representatives is set to vote on the bill today. The United States Senate has not yet calendared this bill.
The Minnesota Senate Elections Committee DFL Members are Chair Jim Carlson (DFL - Eagan), Vice Chair Bonnie Westlin (DFL - Plymouth), Senator Liz Boldon (DFL - Rochester), Senator Steve Cwodzinski (DFL - Eden Prairie), Senator John Marty (DFL - Roseville), and Senator Lindsey Port (DFL - Burnsville).
The Minnesota House Elections Committee DFL Members are Co-Chair Mike Freiberg (DFL - Golden Valley), Co-Vice Chair Liz Lee (DFL - St. Paul), Rep. Patty Acomb (DFL - Minnetonka), Rep. Nathan Coulter (DFL - Bloomington), Rep. Emma Greenman (DFL - Minneapolis), and Rep. Bianca Virnig (DFL - Eagan).
###