Earlier this month, controversy erupted in Hennepin County after a van containing boxes of absentee ballots was found unattended in the Edina City Hall parking lot with the trunk open. A courier, who was later fired, was transporting the ballots when he parked the van and left the ballots exposed for several minutes.
In a press conference held Thursday morning, former Minnesota Secretary of State Mary Kiffmeyer urged Secretary of State Steve Simon to address what she described as a failure to ensure that early ballots are protected in the same way Election Day ballots are protected.
The press conference comes after Simon told KSTP that state law only requires ballots to be accompanied by election judges from two different parties on Election Day, not during the early voting period. Kiffmeyer disputes this interpretation of state law, calling it “nonsense” and “absolutely ridiculous.”
According to Kiffmeyer, state law requires all ballots to be escorted by election judges from two different political parties at all times. Additionally, the former secretary of state said chain of custody requirements, which document who is transporting the ballots, are also mandated under state law. Kiffmeyer said the failure to follow those procedures resulted in ballots being left exposed and unattended in the van.
“This should never, ever happen,” said Kiffmeyer as she pointed to a photo of the exposed ballots sitting in the back of the unattended van.
Kiffmeyer, who has also served as a state legislator, emphasized the need for stricter security measures and urged Simon to change his approach, saying, “I’m calling on the Secretary of State to immediately change his opinion—not just because it’s the legislatively correct interpretation, but because it’s just plain common sense.”
“All ballots, 100% of them, deserve a chain of custody, deserve election judges from two different political parties,” said Kiffmeyer.
“The system owes it to the voters to protect all ballots, no matter when they are cast, no matter where they are cast,” added the former secretary of state.
“Instead of making this little interpretation about only ballots on Election Day, that’s nonsense. That’s absolutely ridiculous. All ballots, 100% of them, deserve a chain of custody, deserve election judges from two different political parties,” Former Secretary of State Mary… pic.twitter.com/3m1fTMsnux
— Alpha News (@AlphaNewsMN) October 24, 2024
Minnesota GOP Chairman David Hann, State Sen. Mark Koran, R-North Branch, and State Rep. Paul Torkelson, R-Hanska, joined Kiffmeyer for the press conference to express their concerns and urge Simon to make a change.
“Custody of ballots in this case, they should have had party balance in election judge[s],” said Sen. Koran. “Yeah, it might be hard and may be difficult. But that’s an obligation to us to make sure each citizen knows their vote counts and the integrity is at the highest level.”
Rep. Torkelson highlighted Minnesota’s strong tradition of high voter turnout. However, the longtime legislator noted “that turnout is enhanced only when we have voter and ballot integrity. These recent lapses in the way ballots are handled and other issues surrounding our elections reduce voter confidence. I’m here to encourage voters to make sure they show up despite any doubts they have and the integrity of the system.”
After photos were released of the unattended ballots in Edina, Secretary Simon put out a statement that addressed the situation.
“This incident was totally unacceptable,” said Simon. “The county has taken appropriate, swift, and transparent action to determine that no ballots were compromised and to ensure this will not happen again.”
“We have issued a bulletin to all localities to remind them again of chain of custody requirements and practices to ensure this incident is not repeated,” added Simon.
David Hann, chairman of the Minnesota GOP, also emphasized the importance of ensuring that voters feel confident their votes are secure, regardless of when they cast their ballots.
“It is of the utmost importance that Minnesota voters feel confident that their votes are secure and counted, regardless of when they vote,” Hann said. “It’s important that all citizens exercise their right to vote, and it’s important that Simon does a better job of ensuring that the process is conducted according to law.”
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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.
