Commissioner Heinrich Votes No Citing Scalability of Possible Fraud; Commissioner Reinert Also a No Vote, Wants Cities to Choose Between Paper and Electronics
Commissioner Heinrich said he was concerned about the scalability of possible fraud from a nefarious actor on the electronic devices; he therefore preferred paper to be used.
With one commissioner absent, TWO (2) commissioners voted No—against buying new iPads from KNOWiNK.
VIDEO: Commissioners Heinrich and Reinert
VIDEO: All Commissioners Discuss Before the 4-2 Vote (with one absence)
The First Two (2) Votes Against Electronic Poll Pads at Commissioner Level in Minnesota
In recent years, discussions about electronics were centered on the electronic tabulators (now mandated in Minnesota), but Tuesday's vote was a first at the commissioner level for the electronic poll pads—significant for two reasons, 1) because electronic poll pads had flown under the radar, and 2) this vote took place in the 4th most populous county in Minnesota. Two cities in Anoka County had already canceled their poll pad agreements with the county, one of which, Oak Grove, having done so prior to the November 2024 election.
Heinrich Prefers Paper Because it is More Secure
Commissioner Heinrich said he was concerned about the scalability of possible fraud from a nefarious actor on the electronic devices; he therefore preferred paper to be used.
Commissioner Reinert did not go this far on the topic of security, nor state a preference for paper or electronics, but rather brought up valid points about procedure and city autonomy and how a vote may yet come on the city choice after about a year and a half of discussions.
No Vote Needed for City Autonomy—They Already Have It
However, it is unclear whether such a vote on city choice is even needed or welcome. The county staff has been posturing that the county has authority to tell cities what to do, when the Minnesota Statutes are clear despite MNSOS omitting key statutes in letter sent from the Anoka County Elections Department to election workers before the November 2024 election, which included a warning from the Anoka County Attorney that felonies may be given to any election judges not using electronic iPads to check in voters, furthering suspicion that these iPads are indeed the Trojan horses of Minnesota elections.
Local Examples of Electronic Poll Pad Issues
The 2024 election showed in nearby Sherburne county that the poll pads were not entirely successful, indeed potentially producing as yet unexplained ghost voters. This on top of a history of data inconsistencies in Minnesota, leaving aside failures from KNOWiNK in South Dakota and Texas's decertification of one vendor's electronic poll pads.
Let the Cities Decide
Commissioner Reinert closed his comments with: If there's truly no difference (between paper and electronic roster), let cities do what they want to do.
Erik van Mechelen, candidate for MNSOS in 2022, will not run for MNSOS again, but will continue to monitor the shift to a locally controlled voting process that can be understood by 5th graders and may even be audited by them. Minnesota cities and towns can safely begin by canceling electronic poll pad agreements to avoid immediate risk of potential fraud at scale.
