The Minnesota Republican Party (MNGOP) and the Republican National Committee (RNC) are demanding an investigation into potential voter fraud after a noncitizen, legally residing in the state, reported receiving a primary ballot without registering to vote.
The GOP alleges that the state’s automatic voter registration system, implemented by Governor Tim Walz, may have allowed noncitizens to register to vote. In March 2023, Walz signed a bill allowing illegal noncitizens to receive driver’s licenses. Less than two months later, he signed the “Democracy for the People Act,” which automatically registers voters through the Department of Public Safety’s (DVS) Driver and Vehicle Services Division.
Kevin Cline, election integrity counsel for the RNC, and David Hann, chairman of the MNGOP, sent a letter to the DVS, questioning how noncitizens managed to get on the voter rolls. The letter details the case of a noncitizen, who feared jeopardizing his legal status, but came forward to report receiving a primary ballot without having registered.
In response, DVS Commissioner Bob Jacobson wrote that the department takes measures to ensure only U.S. citizens’ information is forwarded to the Secretary of State. These measures include reviewing only certain documents that qualify as proof of citizenship and a second review upon issuance of the applicant’s documents to verify their classification. However, Jacobson’s response did not satisfy Cline and Hann.
They sent another letter, stating that the DVS response failed to explain how noncitizens made it through the process and onto the voter rolls. They argue that the chain of events leading to the implementation of the automatic voter registration system gives the impression that it was put in place to facilitate registration of noncitizens.
Cline and Hann demanded a full investigation, including a timeline of when the citizenship checks were put in place, details of the manual review of voter records, and information on how often the DVS reports to the Secretary of State about individuals registered through the automatic system. They also requested information on the number of noncitizens who have been issued driver’s licenses and sent to the Secretary of State for voter registration since the implementation of the system.
The GOP representatives expressed concern that the current system is vulnerable to illegal voter registrations and that the review of voter records should have been completed consistently since the system’s implementation. They believe the review is only being conducted now due to their previous letter exposing the system’s flaws.
The Minnesota Department of Public Safety has yet to respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment. The situation highlights concerns about election integrity and the potential for voter fraud in the upcoming election.
