Local election officials welcome legal protections under new law

Election workers locally and across the state have new state protections against threats, harassment and intimidation.
The new law makes it illegal to:
•intimidate election workers.
•interfere with the administration of an election.
•disseminate personal information of an election official.
•obstruct access of any election official to the location where elections administration is occurring.
•tamper with voting equipment or a ballot box.
•tamper with the statewide Voter Registration System, registration list or polling place roster.
•access the statewide Voter Registration System without authorization.
“Since the 2020 election in Minnesota and across the country, election workers have been targeted for simply doing their jobs,” said Secretary of State Steve Simon.
“This new legislation provides our state’s local election administrators and the 30,000 election workers across the state confidence and peace of mind while administering free and fair elections.”
In Rock County, the auditor-treasurer office administers the local election process.
Ashley Kurtz is the county’s auditor-treasurer.
The new election workers protection law is a welcome relief to Kurtz and her staff, who were subjected to multiple threats and intimidation leading up to the November 2022 general election.
“Even if it makes people think twice or cuts the level down by half, that’s a win for us,” Kurtz said.
“Without the work of the election administration leading up to and on Election Day and the work of election judges on Election Day, people would not be able to exercise their right to vote,” she said.
“If something doesn’t change to stop the harassment of these people, it will become even more of a challenge to fill these roles. As long as it is enforced, it should be a change that helps both staff and election judges feel more protected doing their jobs.”
Anyone found in violation of the election worker protection law would be guilty of a gross misdemeanor with civil penalties of damages up to $1,000 for each violation.