St. Paul Reporter

Representative Ben Davis (R–Mission Twp) and other Republican members of the House Elections Finance and Government Operations Committee have called on Secretary of State Steve Simon to comply with a request from the U.S. Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division. The federal request seeks access to Minnesota’s voter registration list, following recent convictions for attempted voter fraud in the state.

The Secretary of State’s office denied the DOJ request, citing concerns about personal information in the data. However, committee members pointed out that similar information—excluding personal identifiers—is already available for purchase by citizens through the Secretary’s website for $46.

“The Secretary of State claims to have nothing to hide and boasts about transparency,” said Rep. Davis. “But now that real voter fraud has been uncovered, he’s rejecting a legitimate inquiry.”

Under the Help America Vote Act (HAVA), Minnesota is required to submit voter registration data, including names, birthdates, and Social Security numbers, for verification purposes. “This kind of information-sharing isn’t new,” Davis continued. “So why the sudden refusal?”

Davis described this situation as part of a broader issue affecting government programs in Minnesota. “Minnesota is approaching a billion dollars in fraud across government programs and now it’s touching our elections. We need full transparency, not selective cooperation. This is about protecting our basic fundamental rights as citizens.”

He also addressed ongoing concerns about election safeguards: “Why do we have to constantly wrestle for the most basic foundation of our democratic process. Folks are weary from it no matter what side of the aisle they’re on. This isn’t a partisan issue. It’s about trust and accountability.”

Davis referenced previous audits by the Office of the Legislative Auditor (OLA), which found tens of thousands of questionable registrations flagged by HAVA-SSA verification systems. A 2018 OLA report presented to lawmakers revealed that more than 16,000 problematic registrations from 2016 were not disclosed by the Secretary of State's Office.

Committee members warned that refusing a routine DOJ request could lead to legal risks for Minnesota. They noted that other states declining similar requests have faced lawsuits and highlighted concerns over potential costs given Minnesota's projected $6 billion deficit.

A letter signed by all House Republicans on the committee restated their commitment to election integrity, voter confidence, and cooperation with lawful federal oversight.