ST. PAUL - What could be more important to a democracy than to ensure that every vote is legally cast, and that the election system is safe and secure?
State Representative Greg Davids (R-Preston) said a recent elections bill approved by House Democrats will actually erode election integrity if it is signed into law.
“Our local county election officials do a tremendous job,” Davids said, “but this proposal would make their jobs more difficult and expensive.”
For example, Davids points to a new provision that allows voters to describe where they’re living while filling out a voter registration form rather than listing an actual address.
“This is just a recipe for voter fraud,” Davids said. “To think that all you need to do is claim you live in the gray house near Maple Street and they’ll hand you a ballot.”
Davids said the bill also does nothing to guarantee people will live in the district when it comes to redistricting; fails to stop nonprofits that receive government funds from using that money for campaigns; and fails to add safeguards that will prevent illegal immigrants from voting in Minnesota’s election.
“There should be nothing more sacred than maintaining the dignity of our elections system, and this bill fails in that regard,” Davids said. “When not one Republican votes for an elections bill, a proposal that is traditionally overwhelmingly bipartisan, that should tell you the bill has major election integrity problems.”