Derek Lind from Anoka County Election Integrity Team (ACEIT) joined Liz Collin Reports to provide an update on the group’s ongoing efforts to improve election security at the local level.
“When we first got started, we focused most of our time at the county level, because the county has a lot of power,” Lind said.
ACEIT initially focused on advocating for election reforms within Anoka County, Minnesota’s fourth-largest county, but after county commissioners showed little interest, the group pivoted to engaging individual cities. As Lind explained, “We spent about nine months there, bringing them information … and we were unable to persuade them.” This shift in strategy led to greater success, with 11 of 21 cities expressing interest in ACEIT’s presentations, Lind said.
“Right now under the current system, you stick the ballot in the machine, the machine counts the vote, and that’s it. The election’s over,” Lind said. “But under this system, we’re going to check it twice. We’re going to have the machine count the votes and then we’re going to check it again by hand.”
The group’s main proposal involves expanding the post-election review process to include a larger number of precincts. Lind highlighted the importance of this effort, explaining that currently, “they only check four [precincts]” out of 128 in Anoka County, which he believes is insufficient.
As a result, ACEIT has persuaded seven cities to increase this review for a total of 17 precincts.
ACEIT has also recommended returning to paper poll pads, which they believe enhance
transparency and security. Despite some pushback from county authorities, Lind mentioned that cities like Oak Grove are advocating to remove electronic poll pads. He said, “Paper poll pads are more secure … something that can be audited.”
The group’s work has garnered mixed reactions, but Lind emphasized that ACEIT’s mission is forward-looking: “We’re looking for future elections … [they] should accurately measure the will of the people … and we can all trust the results.”
In response to the concerns raised by ACEIT, the Minnesota Secretary of State’s Office previously said that “ballot tabulators are considered best practice in elections administration as they are more accurate and efficient than hand counts.”
“According to MIT’s Election Data and Science Lab, 97% of the U.S. uses electronic ballot tabulators. Minnesota has used ballot tabulators for decades. This equipment is certified by federal and state experts, tested locally before every election, and kept in secure locations.”
Hayley Feland
Hayley Feland previously worked as a journalist with The Minnesota Sun, The Wisconsin Daily Star, and The College Fix. She is a Minnesota native with a passion for politics and journalism.
