St. Paul, MN – Today, the Minnesota House Subcommittee on Elections held a remote hearing to discuss proposed language on appropriating funds from the Help America Vote Act and authorizing the Minnesota Secretary of State to issue emergency orders related to the conduct of the upcoming elections during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“We live in uncertain, drastically changing times, and it’s imperative that Minnesota remains responsive to whatever situation might present itself during the August primaries and the November election,” said Rep. Raymond Dehn (DFL - Minneapolis), chair of the House Subcommittee on Elections. “Our remaining work this year needs to focus on ensuring our upcoming elections can successfully proceed, which should include exploring the expansion of our ‘vote by mail’ capabilities.”
Testimony was given by Secretary of State Steve Simon, where he highlighted the need to treat the upcoming elections as a public health issue. Other testifiers included Deborah Erickson, Administrative Services Director for Crow Wing County; Ginny Gelms, Hennepin County Elections Manager; Nick Harper, Minnesota League of Women Voters; Judy Sanders, National Federation of the Blind of Minnesota; and Susan Shogren Smith.
The committee heard proposed language and comments from members. No formal bill was presented or acted on.
Supporting documents can be found on the committee’s website, and a video recording of the hearing can be found on the House Public Information’s YouTube channel.
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