MINNEAPOLIS—The Minnesota Supreme Court ruled in favor state Republicanswho accused Hennepin County officials of violating election laws in a petition. The filing accused the county of appointing Republican election judges to the absentee polling place who were not on an official party list.
The Republican Party of Minnesota’s petition stated that election officials “had a legal duty to recruit election judges for absentee voting by first contacting Republican election judges who resided in Hennepin County and who were designated by the Republican Party on its party list identified.”
In response to the petition, county election officials said that “the lists of election judge candidates from the major political parties … had been exhausted by Hennepin County cities, including Minneapolis, allowing respondents to nominate others not on the Republican Party list stood.” to the Hennepin County Absentee Ballot Board,” the ruling said. Minnesota’s secretary of state also filed a response, saying county officials had not violated election law.
In a ruling Tuesday, the Supreme Court said the county failed in its legal duty because it “appointed election judges to the Hennepin County Absentee Ballot Board from outside party lists without first contacting Hennepin County residents who appear on the lists to stand.” The court said the county must choose absentee ballot judges from the Republican Party’s roster on Friday.
As of Wednesday, Hennepin County has received more than 263,000 absentee ballots. The absentee polling place has accepted more than 209,000.
