Steve Simon Archives - The Minnesota Sun

Minnesota Secretary of State’s Election Reform ‘Wish List’ Moves Through Legislature Despite GOP Criticism

February 26, 2023February 25, 2023 Admin

A major election reform bill that DFL members in the House and Senate are carrying for Secretary of State Steve Simon continues to progress through the legislature despite criticism its several sweeping provisions have received from Republicans in recent committee hearings.

HF3/SF3, coined the “Democracy for the People Act” by its sponsors, aims to implement automatic voter registration, pre-registration for 16- and 17-year olds, add new voter intimidation laws and related penalties, and require more disclosures of who is funding campaign ads, among several other provisions.

Minnesota’s Secretary of State’s Election Reform ‘Wish List’ Includes Automatic Voter Registration

January 12, 2023January 11, 2023 Minnesota Sun Staff

Those applying for driver’s licenses — or utilizing a plethora of other state agency services — could also automatically be registering to vote at the same time, if newly re-elected Secretary of State Steve Simon’s legislative priority wish list comes to fruition in the coming months at the Capitol.

Simon, a DFLer elected to his third term in November, held a press conference Monday announcing his support for automatic voter registration contained in HF3/SF3 along with a handful of other election-related “Legislative Priorities to Strengthen Our Democracy” that he said would continue to build on “Minnesota’s success story and reputation as a leader in elections and voting” and further expand access to voting.

Michigan, Minnesota Among States Democrats Move to Rewrite State Voting Laws After Midterm Wins

December 27, 2022December 26, 2022 Star News Network Staff

Democrats are moving to implement new voting laws at the state level following their midterm wins, according to The New York Times.

Democratic governors and state legislators have expressed plans to push automatic voter registration, voter pre-registration for minors, an expansion of early and absentee voting and criminalization of election misinformation, according to the NYT. The party retained most of its governors in the 2024 election and maintained its hold over several key state legislatures, creating a clear path to instating many of its favored voting policies.

Pollster: ‘Real Possibility’ GOP Takes Three Statewide Wins

October 24, 2022October 23, 2022 Minnesota Sun Staff

Trafalgar Group chief strategist Robert Cahaly joined Liz Collin on her podcast to discuss the results of a new poll that found Dr. Scott Jensen narrowly leading Gov. Tim Walz in Minnesota.

Minnesota Democratic Candidates Under Fire for Ducking Debates

October 9, 2022October 8, 2022 Admin

Gov. Tim Walz and Minnesota Secretary of State Steve Simon are facing backlash after they both declined to participate in a televised debate on TPT Almanac.

According to MPR and TPT Almanac host Cathy Wurzer, Simon was scheduled to participate in a debate Friday with Republican challenger Kim Crockett but canceled at the last minute, citing a scheduling conflict.

Minnesota Secretary of State Simon Calls Voter ID Laws ‘Draconian’ in First Debate

October 4, 2022October 3, 2022 Minnesota Sun Staff

The top candidates for Minnesota secretary of state squared off in their first debate Sunday night on WCCO Radio and the gloves came off almost immediately.

“My mission as secretary of state has been to protect the freedom to vote for every eligible Minnesotan. I’ve been proud to do that work with fairness, impartiality, and integrity, leading to results that we can all be really proud of,” said Secretary Steve Simon, a Democrat seeking a third term as Minnesota’s chief elections official.

Minnesota Supreme Court Rules State Law Doesn’t Require Party Balance on Absentee Ballot Boards

March 21, 2022March 20, 2022 Admin

The Minnesota Supreme Court has ruled that cities and counties can conduct statewide elections without a strict party balance on absentee ballot boards.

Upholding a previous decision by the state’s court of appeals, Justice Barry Anderson published a 25-page ruling Wednesday dismissing the Minnesota Voters Alliance’s lawsuit against Ramsey and Olmsted counties and the city of Duluth, with the Republican Party of Minnesota listed as a co-plaintiff.

Appeals Court Orders Minnesota to Separate Mail-in Ballots That Arrive After Election Day

October 31, 2020October 30, 2020 Minnesota Sun Staff

A federal appeals court ruled Thursday that mail-in ballots from Minnesota that arrive after Nov. 3 must be separated from those that are received on or before Election Day.

The ruling, which came from a three-judge panel from the 8th Circuit Court of Appeals, authorized a GOP challenge against Minnesota Secretary of State Steve Simon order extending the ballot deadline by seven days. Ballots received after Election Day should be separated, the ruling said, in order “to be removed from vote totals in the event a final order is entered by a court of competent jurisdiction determining such votes to be invalid or unlawfully counted.”

House Leader Calls for ‘Full and Robust Investigation’ of Minneapolis Voter Fraud Allegations

September 30, 2020September 29, 2020 Minnesota Sun Staff

In a letter sent Monday, House Minority Leader Kurt Daudt called on Secretary of State Steve Simon to conduct a “full and robust investigation” following allegations of systemic voter fraud in Minneapolis.

The letter was issued in response to a Project Veritas video released Sunday night that accused Rep. Ilhan Omar’s campaign of running a ballot-harvesting scheme out of two Minneapolis high-rises. A source quoted in the video claimed that one of Omar’s staffers is central to the operation and even pays voters for their ballots.

Republicans Sue Minnesota Over Eight-Day Extension to Count ‘Late’ Ballots

September 25, 2020September 25, 2020 Minnesota Sun Staff

Republicans in the state of Minnesota filed a lawsuit after the state government announced that late mail-in ballots could be counted up to 8 days after Election Day, as reported by the Washington Free Beacon.

The plaintiffs in the suit are state representative Eric Lucero (R-Minn.) and elector James Carson (R-Minn.), who sued Secretary of State Steve Simon, the man who ultimately made the decision to extend the ballot-counting deadline by just over a week. The lawsuit points out that such a decision being made by one statewide official violates the U.S. Constitution because it failed to consult the state legislature, and also allows for the counting of ballots that have “no post mark and no evidence of having been cast on November 3rd.”

Minnesota Secretary of State Sends Letters Telling Those Who Haven’t Requested Absentee Ballots to Vote from Home

September 20, 2020September 19, 2020 Corinne Murdock

Minnesota’s Secretary of State Steve Simon is sending letters telling those who haven’t requested an absentee ballot to vote from home. An estimated 2.3 million voters will receive the letter and an absentee ballot application.
The letter asserts that staying safe and keeping other citizens healthy “means voting from home.”

Minnesota Waives Absentee Ballot Witness Signature Requirement

June 19, 2020June 18, 2020 The Associated Press

Minnesota will waive its witness requirements for absentee ballots for the statewide primary election in August under the settlement of two lawsuits sparked by the health threat from the coronavirus pandemic.

The lawsuits were filed by political arms of the League of Women Voters of Minnesota and the Minnesota Alliance for Retired Americans. A Ramsey County judge signed off on the consent decree with the retirees Wednesday while a federal judge scheduled a hearing for Thursday on the league’s case.

Minnesota Democrats Push for Ballot Harvesting, Drop Boxes in COVID-19 Response

April 13, 2020April 12, 2020 Anthony Gockowski

Minnesota Democrats are pushing for several sweeping election changes to adapt to the coronavirus pandemic, including universal mail-in ballots and even ballot drop-boxes.

Minnesota Secretary of State Says Statewide Vote by Mail Possible for 2020 Election

April 3, 2020April 2, 2020 Anthony Gockowski

Minnesota Secretary of State Steve Simon said his office is exploring a number of “pandemic election options,” including conducting the entire presidential election by mail-in ballots.

“The current public health crisis has been a serious test for all Minnesotans. It has also been a test for our democracy. I’ve heard from many Minnesotans who wonder how, or even if, we will vote in this high-stakes election year,” Simon said in a statement released last week.

Minnesota Secretary of State Apologizes for Directing Voters to ‘Partisan’ Website to Find Polling Places

March 4, 2020March 3, 2020 Anthony Gockowski

Minnesota Secretary of State Steve Simon apologized Tuesday after voters were briefly redirected from his office’s “pollfinder” tool to the website of a progressive organization that has endorsed Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) for president.

Accusations Fly in Fight Over Voter Data from Minnesota Primary

January 26, 2020January 25, 2020 Anthony Gockowski

State party leaders exchanged a number of accusations throughout the week regarding the release of voter data under Minnesota’s presidential primary law.

National Democrats Sue Minnesota As Part of ‘Eight Figure Commitment’ to Fighting ‘Voter Suppression’

January 24, 2020January 24, 2020 Anthony Gockowski

Two national Democratic groups filed a lawsuit against Minnesota Thursday in an effort to eliminate the state’s “unconstitutional” restrictions on voter assistance.

Ellison and Omar Vote for Bernie As Early Voting Begins in Minnesota

January 18, 2020January 17, 2020 Anthony Gockowski

Minnesota voters began casting their votes early Friday in the state’s first presidential primary since 1992.

National Democrats Sue Minnesota Over ‘Unfair’ Ballot Laws

November 30, 2019November 29, 2019 Anthony Gockowski

Two national Democratic groups are suing Minnesota over the state’s “unfair” ballot laws that “systemically and arbitrarily disadvantage” DFL candidates.

Another Group Accuses Keith Ellison of Failing to Defend State Laws He Doesn’t Like

November 20, 2019November 20, 2019 Anthony Gockowski

The Minnesota Voters Alliance has filed a motion to intervene in a lawsuit brought against the state by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) because Attorney General Keith Ellison and Secretary of State Steve Simon have failed to properly defend Minnesota law, the non-profit said Tuesday.

ACLU Sues Minnesota Secretary of State to Restore Felon Voting Rights

October 22, 2019October 21, 2019 Anthony Gockowski

The American Civil Liberties Union filed a lawsuit Monday against Minnesota Secretary of State Steve Simon in an effort to restore the right to vote to convicted felons who have been released from prison.

Minnesota’s Presidential Primary Will Cost $11.9 Million

September 8, 2019September 7, 2019 Anthony Gockowski

Minnesota’s presidential primary will cost $11.9 million in taxpayer funds to administer, Secretary of State Steve Simon told reporters Friday.

Walz Declares Healthcare a ‘Basic Human Right’ in Inaugural Address, Vows to Make Minnesota the ‘Education State’

January 8, 2019January 8, 2019 Anthony Gockowski

Minnesota’s newly elected constitutional officers were sworn in Monday, including now Gov. Tim Walz (D-MN), Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan (D-MN), and Attorney General Keith Ellison (D-MN). All five officials inaugurated are members of Minnesota’s Democratic-Farmer-Labor (DFL) Party, a grim reminder to the Minnesota GOP that it failed to win a…

Minnesota Secretary of State Unveils Plan to Restore Voting Rights to 60,000 Felons

January 4, 2019January 3, 2019 Anthony Gockowski

Secretary of State Steve Simon (D-MN) unveiled his “Investing in Democracy” 2019 agenda during a Thursday press conference where he announced plans to restore voting rights to felons after they are released from prison. Currently, Minnesota is one of 22 states that revokes voting rights for felons during incarceration and…

Keith Ellison Only Major Candidate Not Listed For DFL’s Bus Tour

November 1, 2018November 1, 2018 Anthony Gockowski

Minnesota’s Democratic-Farmer-Labor (DFL) Party will be kicking of its 28-stop bus tour Thursday, but Rep. Keith Ellison (D-MN-05) is conspicuously absent from the list of scheduled speakers. In fact, Ellison is just one of two DFL candidates not scheduled for any stops on the tour. The only other candidate not…