SE Minnesota News

Republican members of the Minnesota House Elections Committee, led by Rep. Duane Quam (R–Byron), have urged Secretary of State Steve Simon to comply with a federal request for voter registration information. The appeal follows a recent federal case where individuals admitted guilt in an attempt to register fake and illegal voters in Minnesota, raising concerns about vulnerabilities in the state’s voter registration process.

The Secretary of State’s General Counsel declined the Department of Justice's request, citing privacy concerns over personal identifying information contained in the list. However, committee members pointed out that similar data—excluding personal details—can be purchased by any private citizen through the Secretary of State’s website for a fee.

Quam challenged the rationale behind denying the federal request. He referenced requirements under the Help America Vote Act (HAVA), which obligate states to submit certain voter registration data—including name, date of birth, address, and Social Security number—for verification against federal databases. According to Quam, Minnesota has participated in this process for years as part of its eligibility for conducting federal elections.

“It is troubling that the Secretary of State would deny a lawful request from the Department of Justice, especially when Minnesota already shares similar data under federal law through HAVA,” said Rep. Duane Quam (R–Byron), GOP Chair of the Elections Finance and Government Operations Committee. “Complying with one federal requirement while rejecting another, on an issue as critical as election integrity, undermines public trust and raises legitimate concerns.”

Quam also referred to previous audits conducted by the Office of the Legislative Auditor (OLA). These audits flagged tens of thousands of questionable registrations identified through HAVA-SSA verification systems. A 2018 OLA report presented to legislators revealed that more than 16,000 problematic registrations from 2016 were not disclosed by the Secretary of State’s Office.

“Having worked closely with the Office of the Legislative Auditor and served on election oversight committees for years, I can say these problems are not new, and they’re not minor,” said Quam. “Minnesotans expect transparency and accountability from our election officials. After past failures to report tens of thousands of bad registrations, the refusal to cooperate with the Civil Rights Division’s review calls the Secretary’s commitment to those principles into question.”

Members expressed concern that declining what they described as a routine DOJ request could subject Minnesota to legal challenges—a situation other states have faced after refusing similar requests. With Minnesota facing a projected $6 billion budget deficit, committee members warned that noncompliance could lead to expensive legal action brought by federal authorities.

The letter signed by all Republican members reaffirms their commitment to maintaining election integrity and ensuring full cooperation with lawful oversight from federal agencies.

A copy of their letter is available online.