March 2025 Recap: EO, E-Poll Pad Choice, Beauty, Simon
A man who thinks is dangerous; a man who thinks deeply doubly so; therefore, men, teach your sons to think.
Welcome to commissioners from almost all 87 Minnesota Counties to this email newsletter—if readers have info for Douglas, Faribault, Norman, Pope, Roseau, and Traverse county commissioners, please forward).
It is not an easy time to be politician when many citizens default reaction to any government notice, rhetoric, or decision is to DIStrust until verified. For more than 300 posts on election news dating from about 2022, more than any other source in Minnesota, please browse https://projectminnesota.com.
In Minnesota, we have paper ballots, yes, but computers count scanned pictures of those ballots which are now by law hidden from the public, as of 2023, after county auditors, administrators, and attorneys likely copy-pasted suggestions from the MNSOS or vendor regarding the availability of cast vote records. One director of elections claimed they didn't exist, revealing he didn't know the first thing about the ES&S DS200 machines they were using.
For those already familiar with this newsletter, and want the latest, read this...
Poll Pad Municipal CHOICE - details again brought by citizens in Anoka County Commissioner meeting, Tuesday March 25, 2025
For Newcomers and the Full March 2025 Update
What follows are National, State, and Local-level updates, occasionally referencing previous articles on Project Minnesota.
So many questions remain.
For years now, most data requests for election records have gone unanswered or were returned stock 'Responsive data doesn't exist', such that I have concluded that the 700,000 missing ballots indicated by MN Secretary of State Steve Simon-controlled statewide voter registration system (SVRS) on November 29, 2020, may NOT have have in fact existed at all. It's a mystery worth considering (and I am writing a book about it) because 700,000 is a big number and the 2020 election was legally but un-ethically certified five (5) days prior. Only ONE digital receipt was provided for 2020, from Fillmore County
If Simon did not know there was a 700,000 vote delta (more votes than voters), in his own data, he is simply incompetent. More likely he knew, given track record, and did not care about disclosing. Read FICTION: Simon, the Architect.
Who does?
Commissioners are encouraged to ask County Attorneys for any example in past 5 years that their opinion has differed from MNSOS Steve Simon on matters of elections. If any exist, please send to erikvanmechelen@protonmail.com. Either way, commissioners are advised to read Poll Pad Municipal Choice document above and see whether they find any holes in the citizen argument and then consider why so much time, effort, energy, and money is being spent to persuade anyone who will listen that not only are electronic poll pads so great, but there is no choice in the matter—if it was true there is no choice, then why pump up the pads (while omitting key info that makes electronic poll pads the trojan horse)?
Anoka County just voted to purchase new KNOWiNK poll pads (with 2 No votes) and Isanti is soon to vote on them as well. (If you are a commissioner from another county considering to buy or opt out, please advise as me and my extended team have studied electronic poll pads more than any other group in Minnesota, including I would wager MNSOS.)
Generally speaking, many Minnesotans continue to focus locally. Documented election crimes dating to 2020 are yet to be investigated by AG or addressed by SOS Simon, who circumvented Legislature in 2020 to produce flood of absentee ballots without witness signatures arriving after election day (reported 1.9 million, or 60% of 2020 ballots, yet 700,000 are dubious and I've concluded many of these ballots may not have existed at all).
The new administration's Executive Order to preserve integrity creates opportunity but has risks. Computer simulations (calculated elections) remain a major problem. President references 'fake elections' in signing announcement of EO, but is this rhetoric to appease or a suggestion of next steps? If Trump truly won in landslide, as he says time and again, why not audit all elections immediately?
Meanwhile, will DOGE audit voter rolls? Does this even matter? (Rolls have already been audited by multiple citizen groups, showing phantoms, clones, and dead people voting—with little change—and wouldn't DOGE work to discover black project magic money computers be better time spent?)
National
Trump's EO is small step toward cleaning, but it is too slow—therefore, local action needed and necessary otherwise computer [s]elections continue.
EAC has certified KNOWiNK's poll pads but makes no comment on the many 3rd-party apps connected nor why there is such a BIG push for computer centralization.
Current MESA legislation (from Texas) looks good, but can it get traction? Some nice bills in Tennessee too. Arkansas, see Searcy, had machine-free presidential primary last year, as a showcase of low-cost, high-accuracy locally-controlled (REAL) election.
Tina Peters, Mesa County Clerk, still in prison, sentenced nine (9) years to put fear in other clerks preserving key election data.
State
Keith Ellison was on same flight to Houston, TX, December 24, 2024. Missed chance to ask him about his tweet in 2020 possibly revealing the extent of data centralization from internet-connected tabulators in precincts and electronic poll pads in precincts—he said at 3:57pm local time ~We don't have the votes we need quite yet.
With no hand count CHOICE bills on table, Legislature appears to be almost completely owned, for now, by 'lobbyists and special interests', including perennial 'Simon Says' influence—see Secretary's applauding of 2023 omnibus, which mandated electronic voting machines (but not electronic poll pads YET).
DFL boycott and GOP recalls theater to waste time and take attention off of backroom coordination. Read FICTION: Tom Emmer.
New MNGOP Chair fails to disclose to republican voters that prior chair refused to turn over computer and wiped at least 4 computers clean, including deleting emails related to ongoing litigation while the MNGOP State Executive Committee steamrolls certified delegates in Congressional District 7's Otter Tail to protect CD7 officers, Fischbach, and ultimately Emmer (and those behind scenes backing him such as Vin Weber). Koran-sponsored bill seeks to move 2026 primary election date earlier to remove power from local participation-based politics.
Republican-'authored' bill (HF2177) could introduce Voter ID, but voter ID not required in fine print—this bill to be entitled 'The Minnesota Election Integrity Act'.
Ranked Choice Voting could pass, further complicating and all-but-forcing computers to tally votes. Note that the Ranked Choice pilot cities like Minneapolis and Bloomington echo the 2013 electronic poll pad pilots which led to 2014 draft legislation and 2016 Hennepin County rollout (most counties followed in 2018 except those with poor cellular reception).
Research has begun into who truly writes Minnesota election-related legislation.
Clay Parikh, Georgia case testifier and former 9-year test-lab employee has still not been sued by Dominion.
Rick Weible, demonstrating security breach of ES&S systems has also not been sued by ES&S.
Counties like Carver continue to pat selves on back without merit, ignoring their own violations of election law, such as modem-enabled tabulators with cellular 2-way data connection LIVE during pre-election and election day (this is case for many counties). Hedge funds scoop local newspapers and NGOs attempt to silence advocates: Read FICTION: Carver Skeptic Told Not to Speak by NGO President (of which Secretary Steve Simon is a member).
Local
Why not have beautiful elections?
A number of former legislators who have voted on past election omnibuses are sitting commissioners. One has spoken out about potential for scalability of fraud in KNOWiNK electronic poll books, favoring paper poll books.
2 cities in Anoka County, Oak Grove and Ramsey, have cancelled electronic poll pad agreements with Anoka County, following the Oak Grove Way.
Cities, towns, and counties have great local options.
Anoka County position in 2024 was electronic poll pads are mandated since Auditor Pam Leblanc says so (on Simon's advice?) while all Anoka County election judges are threatened with felony prior to 2024 general election based on erroneous interpretation of election codes.
118-page legal argument on CHOICE for paper poll books provided to Anoka County - so far no response from county --> Worth reading to be informed of city/town choice on electronic poll pads vs paper
Similar to electronic tabulator mandate, electronic poll pad mandate expected this legislative session if marketing push from MNSOS not successful
0 of 87 county auditors have reported reviewing any of the ballot images from the 2024 election - these and the cast vote record files are NOT part of standard post-election reviews (risk-limiting audits) --> risk-limiting for administrators
Erik van Mechelen was a 2022 MNSOS candidate and writer with the most detailed Minnesota election news focused on voting process and computerized systems in past three years (more than 300 posts). To support this work, the newly updated for 2025: [S]elections in Minnesota is offered in Paperback or Digital.
The proposed Minnesota Office of the Secretary of State budget for 2026-2027 is in the tens of millions of dollars. If able to simply buy Erik a coffee, that will go a long way. Remember, even without financial support, I'll never quit because it is part of my purpose in this body's Life to bring retribution for the innocent.
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