Emmer Cosponsors Election Integrity Legislation

WASHINGTON - Today, Congressman Tom Emmer (MN-06) cosponsored Congressman Pete Stauber's (MN-08) Voter Voucher Transparency Act, which requires states with voter vouching policies, like Minnesota, to report basic information to the U.S. Election Assistance Commission about their use in federal elections. Minnesota is one of several states that have a voter vouching policy, allowing one voter to "vouch" for other individuals instead of providing identification to vote.

"Minnesota's vouching policy is an open invitation for voter fraud. Allowing one voter to vouch for up to eight others does not make for safe, secure elections. In fact, it does the opposite," said Congressman Tom Emmer. "Anyone who argues otherwise should admit the truth: they want ineligible individuals to vote in our elections. With this legislation, we will bring oversight and transparency to a policy that provides a clear avenue for fraud."

Background

In Minnesota, any individual whose name appears on Minnesota's voter rolls can "vouch" for the identity and eligibility of up to eight other individuals attempting to vote without ever showing any form of identification.

The Voter Voucher Transparency Act follows over a year of requests from the Department of Justice (DOJ) for information on Minnesota's voter lists and compliance with federal election guidelines. The DOJ has made numerous attempts to obtain information on Minnesota's voter-list maintenance practices and Help America Vote Act (HAVA) compliance. Minnesota has not complied with the DOJ's requests.

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