This is the first time a voter list maintenance claim has been successful in a state exempted from the National Voter Registration Act.
(Minneapolis, MN) – November 14, 2022: Today, the Public Interest Legal Foundation reached a settlement agreement with Todd County and Todd County Auditor-Treasurer Denise Gaida regarding the county’s 22 duplicate voter registrations. The county removed all the duplicate voter registrations and will enact a new system to ensure that future duplicate registrations are caught and do not end up on the county voter roll.
This is the first successful voter list maintenance claim on a state exempted from the National Voter Registration Act (NVRA).
This is the Foundation’s second victory in Minnesota. Last week, PILF dismissed its case against Olmsted County because the county removed all the duplicate registrants and has a maintenance system in place to determine and eliminate future potential duplicates. Because of PILF’s lawsuits against Todd and Olmsted Counties, over 30 duplicate registrations were removed from the voter rolls of Minnesota before Election Day.
In September, the Foundation filed a Help America Vote Act (HAVA) Complaint against six Minnesota counties for failing to remove duplicate registrations. Under the Help America Vote Act, or HAVA, states are required to implement a computerized statewide voter registration list that is accurate and eliminates duplicate registrations.
“Ms. Gaida and her staff were quick to investigate the duplicates we identified and put into place a new system for checking for them,” said PILF President, J. Christian Adams. “We are excited that this case was able to bring about a better process for ensuring that Todd County’s voter rolls do not contain duplicates. Removing these duplicate registrations made Minnesota’s 2022 elections more secure. This innovative legal strategy to force voter roll maintenance should be used in the other 5 states that are exempted from the NVRA.”
The Foundation still has four active HAVA complaints against four Minnesota counties. The counties with ongoing complaints are Dakota, Hennepin, Nicollet, and Ramsey.
James Dickey of the Upper Midwest Law Center served as local counsel.
Public Interest Legal Foundation (PILF) is the nation’s only public interest law firm dedicated wholly to election integrity. The Foundation exists to assist states and others to aid the cause of election integrity and fight against lawlessness in American elections. Drawing on numerous experts in the field, PILF seeks to protect the right to vote and preserve the Constitutional framework of American elections. PILF has brought lawsuits and won victories in Texas, Mississippi, North Carolina, Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Michigan, and across the United States.
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