The White House communications team lit up Minnesota Governor Tim Walz on Friday over Minnesota’s election “vouching” system, which allows same-day voter registration without proof of residency or citizenship.
The rule allows unregistered voters to arrive at the polling location on election day, register, and cast a ballot without any proof of citizenship or residency, so long as someone “vouches” for them. One individual may vouch for up to eight registrants who do not have the required documentation.
The Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division fired off a letter to the Minnesota Secretary of State earlier this year, seeking records to ensure compliance with federal election laws. The DOJ requested records for all federal elections held in the 22 months prior, including the 2024 general and primary elections. “The Department of Justice is particularly concerned with votes and registrations accepted on the basis of ‘vouching’ from other registered voters or residential facility employees,” the DOJ wrote.
Minnesota Secretary of State Steve Simon previously defended the voucher program, claiming, “I cannot recall a single instance of a false vouching because people know they’re making an oath under penalty of perjury.”
Hellbound and Down 