SAINT PAUL, Minn. – Today, the Minnesota House of Representatives is expected to pass a State Government and Elections bill to protect and strengthen Minnesota’s free and fair elections and support a variety of state agencies, boards, and constitutional offices. The bill contains legislation authored by Rep. Emma Greenman (DFL - Minneapolis) to protect election officials from harassment, intimidation, and attempts to interfere with their official duties.
“Every election cycle, 30,000 of our friends and neighbors, in every community in our state, pitch in to help staff our polling places and run our elections,” said Rep. Greenman. “These are the Minnesotans that make our democracy work by doing the apolitical work of conducting free and fair elections. But in the last two years, the spread of conspiracy theories and lies about the 2020 election have made these election workers the target of increasing threats, harassment, and interference. Passing the Election Worker Protection Act is a critical way we can protect Minnesota’s strong record of local elections administration and provide the legal tools to keep election officials safe and ensure they’re able to carry out their important work.”
In Minnesota and nationally, election workers are facing an unprecedented rise in the level of threats, hostility, and attempted interference. This is making it more difficult to hire and retain election judges and elections workers to administer elections. The Election Worker Protection Act prohibits harassing and intimidating election officials or interfering with the performance of their duties.
The policy is supported by the Association of Minnesota Counties, Minnesota Association of County Officers, Minnesota Association of Townships, and League of Minnesota Cities.