The Minnesota Supreme Court has ordered election officials in Hennepin County to appoint new members to the absentee ballot board from a list provided by the state’s Republican Party. This decision came after the court found that no Republicans had been selected for the board, which had previously been composed of four Democrats and one Republican. The court gave the county until Friday to comply with its order.
The problem arose when cities within Hennepin County exhausted the list of available election judges before the county could appoint anyone from the Republican Party’s list of over 1,500 volunteers. The court determined that the county must appoint members to the board from the party lists submitted earlier this year, as required by state law.
The Secretary of State’s Office argued that the county had followed the law, but the Supreme Court disagreed. The court’s ruling clarified the need for party balance on the absentee ballot board and stated that the county must start by appointing judges from the party lists.
The county will now recruit election judges from the Republican Party’s list to fill the absentee ballot board. Both Democrats and Republicans have stated that the ruling ensures election integrity in Minnesota and sets a precedent for other counties to follow the proper procedures for appointing board members.
The Secretary of State’s Office confirmed that the ruling will not delay ongoing absentee ballot verification processes and that the court’s decision provides clarity on a previously ambiguous statute.
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