Breitbart News exclusively uncovered that a lawful non-citizen in Gov. Tim Walz’s (D) Minnesota obtained a primary ballot in the mail without ever requesting it, and the GOP and Republican Party of Minnesota are seeking answers.
Breitbart News was the first to report on this finding, which highlights the shortcomings—or apparent absence thereof—of Minnesota’s citizenship verification processes. Though it’s unclear how common this problem actually is, the RNC claims that a non-citizen living lawfully in the United States unexpectedly got the primary ballot in the mail. This has raised worries about election integrity. The concerned party notified the RNC about this, despite not having requested a ballot or registered to vote in the first place.
Under the direction of Walz, the running partner for Vice President Kamala Harris, the RNC observes that Minnesota has “no acceptable citizenship verification systems in place,” raising concerns that this was not an isolated instance.
As a result, Minnesota Sec. of State Steve Simon (D) received a letter from the RNC and Minnesota GOP informing him that a legitimate non-citizen appeared to be included on the Minnesota voter roll for unknown reasons.
The letter notes that “county election officials rely on the State Voter Registration System to check voter eligibility” and that “this incident indicates that the system to make sure non-citizens do not vote in elections in the state of Minnesota might be seriously flawed or that the staff in charge of ensuring that only eligible voters can vote were negligent in their duties.”
In the letter, the RNC and Minnesota GOP say, “The danger of noncitizens engaging in voter activities in the state of Minnesota has never been greater,” citing the passing of legislation that eliminates the need for legal residency in order to get a driver’s license in the state.
Significantly, Harris’s running partner, Walz, gladly signed the bill, claiming that granting driver’s licenses to an estimated 77,000 undocumented immigrants “will make our neighborhoods safer for all Minnesotans.”
As a result, Republicans questioned whether the Statewide Voter Registration System (SVRS) could keep up with the latest revisions to Minnesota legislation regarding “Drivers Licenses for All.”
“Does your office check the eligibility of those who contact state agencies as automatically registered individuals?” Given the transition to automated voter registration, Republicans exerted pressure on the secretary of state’s office to clarify the steps taken to ensure the inclusion of only US citizens in the voter registers.
Finally, to ensure that non-citizens are not registering to vote or receiving votes they have not requested, the RNC and Minnesota GOP made requests for data about the “standard operating procedures” and processes that the office follows.
They continued, requesting an investigation and responses by August 12, 2024. “Moreover, we insist that your office promptly verifies all voter registrations in the SVRS to guarantee the registration of only eligible voters for voting and ballot distribution.”
The statement continued, highlighting the “potentially catastrophic collapse of the voter registration system” in the state and stressing that “complete openness in these procedures is the only way to assure the trust in elections that the people of Minnesota deserve.”
In an official statement, RNC Chairman Michael Whatley stated that Minnesotans “deserve complete trust that their elections are safe and non-citizens have no say in the destiny of our country.”
“We are committed to implementing all required measures to promptly identify and fix any systemic flaws.” He continued, “It is imperative to uphold the illegality of non-citizen voting throughout the United States.”
