Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon, serving as the Trump administration's chief civil rights enforcer, has voiced strong criticism of Minnesota's same-day voter registration vouching system, following a post by conservative activist Scott Presler.
According to RedState, Presler highlighted on X that in Minnesota, a registered voter can vouch for the residency of up to eight individuals on Election Day without the need for photo identification or further proof. "Heres how it works: Lets say that Shukran is a registered voter in Minnesota. Its Election Day & Shukran brings 8 friends (with) him to vote," Presler elaborated. "Shukran: 'My 8 friends that live in our neighborhood dont have IDs.' Election Day Worker: 'Sign this form to vouch for them.'" This process, Presler noted, results in "+8 votes."
The revelation sparked disbelief, with many comparing Minnesota's system to a scene from the Steve Martin film "The Jerk." Dhillon, in response to Presler's post, expressed her disapproval succinctly, stating, "This is corrupt AF." Presler acknowledged Dhillon's response, expressing gratitude for her attention to the matter.
While Dhillon's blunt language may be surprising from a high-ranking Department of Justice official, it underscores the gravity of the issue Presler has highlighted. Minnesota's "vouching" provision is openly detailed on the Minnesota Secretary of State's website as a valid "proof of residence" method.
Specifically, it allows a registered voter to accompany another to the polling place and sign an oath confirming their address, a process known as 'vouching.' However, a person who has been vouched for cannot vouch for others.
Despite no widespread fraud being reported through this system, the potential for abuse is evident. The Heritage Foundation's Voter Fraud Map and Election Fraud Database cites a 2017 incident involving Zameahia J. Ismail, a non-citizen who voted in Minneapolis after an acquaintance vouched for her address without ID during same-day registration. Election Integrity Watch, a conservative watchdog, has previously criticized Minnesota's election system, citing the lack of ID requirements, provisional balloting, and the vouching system as vulnerabilities.
State Republicans have recently raised concerns about voter fraud, questioning Minnesota's automatic voter registration, vouching system, and citizenship verification processes. Dhillon's pointed critique comes amid the DOJ's legal actions against Minnesota and other states over voter roll maintenance issues. "States are required to safeguard American elections by complying with our federal elections laws," Dhillon asserted.
"Clean voter rolls protect American citizens from voting fraud and abuse, and restore their confidence that their states elections are conducted properly, with integrity, and in compliance with the law."
The question remains whether Dhillon's "corrupt AF" remark will spur the DOJ to address and rectify these potential vulnerabilities before the next critical election cycle.
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