SAINT PAUL — Secretary of State Steve Simon today released the following statement:
“Reaching agreement on major budget issues is hard work and I congratulate Governor Walz, Speaker Hortman, and Majority Leader Gazelka for getting to yes,” said Secretary of State Simon. “However, as conference committees meet to finish their work, all Minnesotans should remember that the security and privacy of their vote remains an open question. I urge members of the State Government Finance conference committee to remember the voters today.
“I stand with the 105 members of the House of Representatives, representing majorities of Democrats and Republicans, who already voted to pass full HAVA funding authorization. This one-time federal money will help my office to protect our election system from foreign attack. Governor Walz and legislative leaders have shown that trust does exist in Saint Paul. I trust Leader Gazelka to honor the written commitment he made in February to ensure that full HAVA funding – all $6.6 million of federal money – is allocated to my office for election cybersecurity, as Congress and President Trump intended. The integrity and security of our democracy depend on it.
“Finally, Minnesotans value privacy. I have repeatedly urged legislators to fix the presidential nominating primary law to protect the private information of Minnesota voters in advance of the upcoming 2020 election. There is simply no good reason to require public disclosure of voters’ party preferences. Minnesota’s voter registration system has never required a voter to state a party affiliation. The legislature can very easily fix this law today and keep intact a system of voter privacy that has worked so well for us for so many years.”