Minnesota voter law help needed

I live in Woodbury, MN, a suburb of the Twin Cities, in MN-6 district- hopefully soon home of Rep. Patty Wetterling. This week I received the innocuous monthly Woodbury City Update, this issue with lots of voting information including Polling sites, how to vote absentee, and how to register to vote. For those who do not know, Minnesota is the rare state that allows registration on election day. To register, you obviously need some ID to show you live in the precinct you want to vote in- even a utility bill is fine. Even without written proof, you can have a currently registered voter "vouch" for you- that is tell the election official that you know this person lives in your precinct.

I was surprised that this Woodbury Update had a sentence that said, "All voters should be prepared to provide an updated Minnesota driver's license (with Woodbury address) on election day."

This is clearly not correct. If you have already registered, you just go to the Poll, tell them your name, sign the form, and vote. No ID is ever needed. Indeed, I was upset in 2004 when asked for a driver's license at the Poll. I told them it was not needed, and the officials agreed, and said they just asked to speed up finding names. This is still not right to ask.

I emailed the contact for the Woodbury City Update and received this reply:

Pre-registration is an important step in the election process
and most voters who have pre-registered are not required to provide a Minnesota Driver's License prior to voting.  

There are two circumstances that require voters to provide an updated
Minnesota Driver's License and/or other forms of identification used for
Election Day registration (as listed in the article). One circumstance
is a "See ID" notation on the polling place roster where a voter would
sign his or her name. This means the voter mailed in his/her
registration and he/she is a first time voter in a federal election in
Minnesota and, therefore, must show one of the forms of identification
used for Election Day registration other than the oath of a registered
voter in the precinct (i.e., not "vouching").

The second circumstance is when the voter needs to proceed with Election
Day registration. This may occur if the voter has not voted in some time
and/or there are changes to his/her registration.  

The statement in the city's newsletter is an important reminder to
voters that they should carry the proper form of identification as there
may be circumstances that require a voter to show proper identification.

We included this information in the article so voters could come
prepared and not be potentially disappointed or delayed should
identification be requested. The same exact language was used in 2004
election information. Woodbury's voter turnout was excellent, well above
the state average. We have no reason to believe there was a negative
impact.

I replied that this response does not really address the misinformation:

Thank you for taking the time to reply to my email. There are a couple problems with your rationale for including this misleading information in the Woodbury Update.

1. "an updated Minnesota Driver's License and/or other forms of identification used for Election Day registration (as listed in the article)" (as in your reply) is not the same as stating or suggesting a Driver's license is need to vote. There are many potential voters who do not have a driver's license. Therefore, your wording is very imprecise and potentially detrimental to having all eligible voter's vote.

2. The fact that this wording was used in 2004 and turnout was good is irrelevant. I do not think voter turnout was 100%. If this wording discourages even one potential voter (maybe someone disabled or elderly who does not have a driver's license) from voting, then that is a loss.

Again, I think it should be made clear to all voters in the city that a driver's license is not needed to vote. This is what the Update suggested, and this is wrong. I will try to get some more information and advice, but I may refer this matter to the Minnesota Secretary of State office to clarify what should be done so that potential voters are not misled.

Again, thank you for your attention to this matter.

I do not think this is a malicious attempt to suppress voter turnout, but is detrimental nevertheless.

So, question for knowledgeable Kossacks. What to do next? I suggested the city send out a letter to all residents with correct information, clearly stating that a driver's license is not needed to vote. What else? Report this to the Minnesota Secretary of State's office (Republican run)? Report to the DFL or elsewhere? Or just forget about it?

There will be some close races in this area- including MN-6, and State House and Senate. Getting out every eligible voter will matter.

•  Give them hell mndan

  Sec. of State Mary Kiffemeyer hates this same day registration, they don't want to publicize it. Call her office just to annoy her. Tell them that Woodbury needs to clear this up. This will get Mary mad. Tell the Star and Tribune what they tell you. They might lie about it.

  I've voted this way (roommate vouched for me), I'd make a stink about it.

  by kkjohnson on Thu Oct 19, 2006 at 06:37:50 AM PDT

•  There's hundreds of these right now...

  Basically, lots of newsletters and things are advising people to bring ID with them, because quite frankly, if you don't, Kiffmeyer's goon squad might be able to keep you from voting.

  While there's a big pile of things that are legally valid as ID, a current, valid driver's license (or instruction permit, or state ID- it should be noted a non-driving ID currently costs $15.50 from DVS, much cheaper than a driver's license) or a passport (expensive) are about the only things that pretty much shut down one of their baseless challenges.

  This is an issue that won't really get better until we get rid of Kiffmeyer. See 2004 when the county clerks got together and had people send all voter registration cards through them- so that they could log all the names and make sure Kiffmeyer's office didn't "lose" them. For a host of nonpartisan local officeholders to say that sort of thing pretty much outright and take that kind of action is huge, and further shows how much anyone who's dealt with her knows about how often Kiffmeyer casually breaks the law to prevent voting.

  I wouldn't bother challenging people who advise bringing ID- the important thing to do (and which the DFL is doing) is to tell everyone to bring all the valid ID they have to the polling place (just in case) and to tell them what is valid ID (most people wouldn't think to bring a utility bill dated within the last 30 days).

  by Jake Nelson on Thu Oct 19, 2006 at 06:43:15 AM PDT

  •  don't forget utility bills

    from your current address also qualify as ID

    by guyermo on Thu Oct 19, 2006 at 06:46:11 AM PDT

•  I would tell people to bring ID

  If you have moved, bring your driver's license, utility bills, whatever you've got to make sure you can vote.  The law might not require it, but why take chance on a corrupt or incompetent election judge (or malicious secretary of state)?

  by Mia Dolan on Thu Oct 19, 2006 at 06:58:45 AM PDT

•  You could drop a note to the Ritchie campaign

  but in the meantime I agree with some of the above posters. I always tell folks to bring whatever they can to identify themselves and their residence. In 2004 there were a lot of long-time voters tossed out by the computer updating, and re-registering them took a lot of time, in particular when they weren't prepared.
  Do consider writing an LTE to a few papers. Do consider calling into a news station about voting requirements (Don Shelby?).

  by parryander on Thu Oct 19, 2006 at 07:30:26 AM PDT

•  IDs are needed; and yes, give them hell.

  FYI: a utility bill by itself is NOT enough.  You must also have a photo ID--MN Drivers License, MN ID Card, Tribal ID, Military ID, Passport, or Student ID from a MN college/university.  

  Also, I think there will be some "voter protection" type of folks from the DFL at the polls, to help people with these issues, as well as the aforementioned goons and their unfounded challenges and other attempts to intimidate voters from performing their civic duty.  I bet you could call the DFL for more info on this, as I don't know much else about it.

  I totally support the advice to call the Star Trib and Pioneer Press, write a letter to the editor, and contact TV and radio.  Not only will this put heat on the officials who are disenfranchising folks through intention, incompetence, or negligence, but it'll help get the word out even more.  I encourage you to indeed give them hell.  

  You know, the fact these things aren't clear in the first place is just one illustration of why we need a new Secretary of State.  It shouldn't be this hard.  I think we all should be giving the money (the first $50 is free to give, reimbursed by the state), time (there are so many things we can do before and on Election Day, if you're able), and energy (talk to folks, call places, write places) to make sure Ritchie wins.  This is social justice at its most fundamental, and we can't afford any more Kiffmeyer.

  by jlh on Fri Oct 20, 2006 at 03:55:09 PM PDT