{"id":2341439,"date":"2024-09-15T15:21:00","date_gmt":"2024-09-15T19:21:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/minnesota-election-officials-make-changes-to-automatic-voter-registration-system-after-issues-arise-washington-examiner\/"},"modified":"2024-09-15T15:25:35","modified_gmt":"2024-09-15T19:25:35","slug":"minnesota-election-officials-make-changes-to-automatic-voter-registration-system-after-issues-arise-washington-examiner","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/minnesota-election-officials-make-changes-to-automatic-voter-registration-system-after-issues-arise-washington-examiner\/","title":{"rendered":"Minnesota election officials make changes to automatic voter registration system after issues arise &#8211; Washington Examiner"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"float:left\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">32<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fminnesota-election-officials-make-changes-to-automatic-voter-registration-system-after-issues-arise-washington-examiner%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2341439&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>Minnesota election officials are implementing\u200c changes to the state&#8217;s automatic \u200cvoter registration system after <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/israel-war-ilhan-omar-slammed-as-unfit-to-serve-and-out-of-her-mind-over-comments\/\" title=\"Ilhan Omar criticized for remarks on Israel war, deemed &#039;unfit&#039; and &#039;unreasonable&#039;.\">identifying potential issues<\/a> with some\u200c entries.\u200c Since the system&#8217;s launch in\u2063 April, over 90,000 individuals have\u200b been \u200dregistered or pre-registered to vote automatically\u200c when they\u200b obtain state-issued IDs, like driver&#8217;s licenses. Approximately 1% of these registrations, equating to around 1,000 individuals, have raised flags for potential\u200c problems. Public Safety Commissioner Bob Jacobson confirmed that no ineligible voters \u2064have been registered through this system. \u2064Secretary of State Steve Simon stated that flagged \u200cregistrations will be marked &#8220;inactive&#8221; until further verification of citizenship and eligibility is completed. Concerns have \u200bbeen raised by\u2063 Republican legislators regarding the number of flagged entries and the integrity \u200cof\u200b the registration process, especially with the upcoming elections.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<p><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><\/p>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-header-search-button-mob dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search\" aria-labelledby=\"td-header-search-button\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search-inner\">\n<form method=\"get\" class=\"tdb-search-form\" action=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\"><\/form>\n<div class=\"tdb-aj-search\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/#\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"Search\" class=\"tdb-head-search-btn dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<h1 class=\"tdb-title-text\">Minnesota election officials make changes to automatic voter registration system after issues arise<\/h1>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-title-line\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div id=\"Brid_1758726\" class=\"tpd-featured-video bridtv\"><\/div>\n<p><strong>ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) &mdash;<\/strong> Elections officials are making changes to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/Minnesota\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>Minnesota<\/a>&rsquo;s automatic voter registration system after finding some potentially problematic entries, but they say they are not aware of anyone ineligible who has been registered to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/voting\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>vote<\/a> via the system.<\/p>\n<div class=\"article-paywall\">\n<p>The Secretary of State&rsquo;s Office&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.sos.state.mn.us\/about-the-office\/news-room\/update-on-automatic-voter-registration-system\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">said this week<\/a>&nbsp;that more than 90,000 people have been registered or pre-registered since April, when Minnesota&rsquo;s new system went live. Residents who apply for and receive state-issued IDs such as driver&rsquo;s licenses are now&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/minnesota-legislature-elections-voting-973701a333e981eb14fc3845569f155a\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>automatically registered to vote<\/a>&nbsp;without having to opt in if they meet legal criteria. And 16- and 17-year-olds can pre-register to vote once they turn 18.<\/p>\n<p>Around 1 percent of those automatic registrations have been flagged for potential problems, said Public Safety Commissioner Bob Jacobson, whose department issues driver&rsquo;s licenses and other <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/starting-saturday-youll-need-photo-id-to-enter-most-d-c-businesses\/\" title=\"Starting Saturday, You\u2019ll Need Photo ID To Enter Most D.C. Businesses\">official identification cards<\/a>,&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.mprnews.org\/story\/2024\/09\/13\/minnesota-automatic-voter-registration-system-problems-detected-reviewing-voters\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Minnesota Public Radio reported.<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Secretary of State Steve Simon said those roughly 1,000 voter registrations will be kept &ldquo;inactive&rdquo; until the names, addresses and citizenship status are confirmed. He also said additional checks will be made to ensure that voters registered through the system meet the eligibility criteria. Flagged individuals will be notified that, if they are eligible, they will need to register to online, at their <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/trump-zuckerberg-broke-law-with-dropboxes\/\" title=\"Trump: Zuckerberg &#039;Broke Law&#039; with Dropboxes\">local election office<\/a>, or in-person at their polling place on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/election-day\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>Election Day<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Republican legislators raised questions about the automatic voter registration system earlier this month. Jacobson&nbsp;told them in a letter&nbsp;on Thursday that he is not aware of any instances of Minnesotans being registered to vote who are ineligible to cast a ballot, but that the process improvements they are making will strengthen the verification system.<\/p>\n<p>Republicans House and Senate leaders responded Friday saying they still have questions. They said 1 percent of registrants could work out to around 1,000 people. They asked for the actual number, and pressed for confirmation on whether any were allowed to vote in the August primary election.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;The election is 52 days away, and early voting begins on September 20. Minnesotans want to trust our elections are secure and fair,&rdquo; they said in a statement.<\/p>\n<p>While Minnesota grants driver&rsquo;s licenses to residents&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/minnesota-drivers-licenses-immigration-05e5720d4d94114f3d4ad8ba65d3626b\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>regardless of immigration status,<\/a>&nbsp;officials say the identification document requirements provide sufficient safeguards against illegal voting.<\/p>\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title> <\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>In Oregon, which has a similar automatic registration system,&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/oregon-dmv-noncitizens-voter-registration-183e30de6d1c454370e606245ba6fde2\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>officials acknowledged Friday<\/a>&nbsp;that the state has mistakenly registered more than 300 non-citizens as voters since 2021 in what they described as a &ldquo;data entry issue&rdquo; that happened when people applied for driver&rsquo;s licenses.<\/p>\n<p>An initial analysis by the Oregon Department of Transportation revealed that 306 non-citizens were registered to vote, spokesperson Kevin Glenn said. Of those, two have voted in elections since 2021. State and federal laws prohibit non-citizens from voting in national and local elections.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p> <script data-cfasync=\"false\" src=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/cdn-cgi\/scripts\/5c5dd728\/cloudflare-static\/email-decode.min.js\"><\/script><script>!function(){var g=window;g.googletag=g.googletag||{},g.googletag.cmd=g.googletag.cmd||[],g.googletag.cmd.push(function(){g.googletag.pubads().setTargeting(\"has-featured-video\",\"true\")})}();<\/script><script>var _bp=_bp||[];_bp.push({\"div\":\"Brid_1758726\",\"obj\":{\"id\":\"27789\",\"width\":\"1280\",\"height\":\"720\",\"stickyDirection\":\"below\",\"video\":\"1758726\"}});<\/script><script defer src=\"https:\/\/services.brid.tv\/player\/build\/brid.min.js\"><\/script><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Minnesota election officials are implementing modifications to the state&#8217;s automatic voter registration system following the discovery of some potentially concerning entries. However, they assert that they have not identified any ineligible individuals who have been registered to vote through this system. The Secretary of State&#8217;s Office reported that since the launch of the new system in April, over 90,000 individuals have been registered or pre-registered. Under this system, residents applying for state-issued IDs like driver&#8217;s licenses are automatically registered to vote if they meet legal requirements, without needing to opt-in. Additionally, 16- and 17-year-olds can pre-register once they turn 18.<\/p>\n<p>Public Safety Commissioner Bob Jacobson noted that about 1 percent of these automatic registrations have raised flags for potential issues. Secretary of State Steve Simon indicated that approximately 1,000 registrations will remain &#8220;inactive&#8221; until their names, addresses, and citizenship statuses are verified. He also mentioned that further checks will be conducted to ensure all voters registered through this process meet eligibility criteria. Those flagged will be informed that if eligible, they must register online or at their local election office or polling place on Election Day.<\/p>\n<p>Republican legislators expressed concerns regarding the automatic voter registration system earlier this month. In a letter on Thursday, Jacobson reassured them he was unaware of any instances where ineligible Minnesotans were registered but acknowledged ongoing improvements would enhance verification processes. Republican leaders from both houses responded on Friday with lingering questions about the implications of having around 1 percent flagged registrants\u2014approximately 1,000 people\u2014and sought clarification on whether any had voted in August&#8217;s primary election.<\/p>\n<p>They emphasized the urgency as elections approach: &#8220;The election is just over seven weeks away,&#8221; stating Minnesotans deserve confidence in secure and fair elections. While Minnesota issues driver\u2019s licenses regardless of immigration status, officials maintain that identification requirements adequately prevent illegal voting.<\/p>\n<p>In Oregon\u2014a state with a similar automatic registration framework\u2014officials recently admitted registering over 300 non-citizens as voters since 2021 due to a &#8220;data entry issue&#8221; during driver\u2019s license applications; two among them had voted since then despite laws prohibiting non-citizen voting in national and local elections<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2634,"featured_media":2341440,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/minnesota-secretary-of-state-.webp","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[40937,34685,5698,40938,32076],"class_list":["post-2341439","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","tag-automatic-voter-registration","tag-election-officials","tag-minnesota","tag-voting-issues","tag-washington-examiner"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/minnesota-secretary-of-state-.webp","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2341439","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2634"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2341439"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2341439\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2341440"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2341439"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2341439"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2341439"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}