The Minnesota Senate State Government and Elections Committee today met to review the procedures and conduct of Minnesota’s 2020 general election, as well as scrutinize areas where improvements can be made. The meeting was motivated by a letter Committee Chairwoman Mary Kiffmeyer (R-Big Lake) sent to Secretary of State Steve Simon last month asking for information and documentation about our elections. 

Secretary of State Simon, the general counsel for the Secretary of State’s office, the elections director for the Secretary of State’s office, and other elections officials and experts testified during the hearing.

“Over the last month, I have heard from many, many constituents regarding concerns over the security of our elections,” said Sen. Kiffmeyer. “Many of those stories were troubling. To be clear: so far, claims of widespread fraud have not held up under scrutiny or in the courts. That’s a good thing — the reliability and integrity of our elections are crucial to the health of our republic. But there have been issues, and the only way to fix them is by asking questions. I reject the idea that asking reasonable questions is in itself a sinister act. It is my priority and responsibility as a legislator to look into every detail of our election process so all Minnesotans can know how this election was conducted, and so we can make security and accountability improvements wherever we can.”