Secretary of State Steve Simon is determined and competitive when it comes to voting in Minnesota.
In a recent KAXE Morning Show conversation, Simon said he has two goals for this year's midterm elections: high voter turnout and low drama.
"I'm an optimist that we'll get there and deliver what people expect in Minnesota, which is an election that's fair and accurate and honest and secure," Simon said, noting Minnesota has a culture of voting and has consistently ranked among the top states in voter participation.
He joked, "The key thing is we've got to beat Wisconsin, right?"
There are three main ways to vote in Minnesota: in-person on Election Day, in-person absentee during the early voting period, or voting by mail, either absentee or mail ballots.
Misinformation about mail-in voting security has grown over the years, and Simon said he understands why people question the system.
"You're talking about hundreds of thousands of blank ballots just floating out here in the mail system," he said.
Simon said it's fair to ask what would prevent someone from taking ballots out of the mailbox to cast illegal votes.
He explained how Minnesota's absentee ballots have multiple layers of verification. Mail ballots must have two identifying numbers, like Social Security numbers, driver's license numbers or state ID numbers. In addition, a witness is required to sign the ballot.
"Unless all three of those things are true, he's not getting away with anything," he said, referring to a hypothetical "mailbox thief."
In more than 11 years holding the office of secretary of state of Minnesota, Simon said he hadn't seen one case of mail-in voting fraud resulting in a counted vote.
Minnesota has had attempted fraud instances, though. The KAXE News team covered a story in Itasca County, where in 2024, a woman was charged with two counts of intentionally making or signing false certification and casting an illegal vote. The judge eventually sentenced her to probation and a fine.
In addition, she was required to read Thank You for Voting: The Maddening, Enlightening, Inspiring Truth About Voting in America by Erin Geiger Smith, and write a 10-page paper on “the importance of voting in a democracy and how election fraud can undermine the voting process.”
Listen to our full conversation above about election security, a recent Supreme Court ruling weakening the Voting Rights Act of 1965, and why your vote matters.
Register to vote and find your polling place and more at mnvotes.gov.
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