Ramsey County Obligated to Release Election Documents
For several years, Minnesota Majority has inspected public election records to detect and prove instances of voter fraud. That research has led to the most convictions for voter fraud of any state since 1936. Access for inspection of the original election documents had been grudgingly allowed by the keepers of the records until now.
Following the 2012 election, Minnesota Majority submitted what’s become a routine Data Practices Act request for access to certain election documents in the possession of Ramsey County, but the group was astonished to receive a denial from the Ramsey County attorney’s office. In lieu of requested documents, Ramsey County offered an (edited) electronic voter mailing list called the “public information list,” which they wrongly maintain is the only election data available to the public.
Minnesota Majority immediately requested an advisory opinion from the state Information Policy Analysis Division (IPAD), an agency charged with providing guidance on the Data Practices Act. IPAD promptly responded, noting that the commissioner just issued an advisory opinion on the same issue in September 2012, when St. Louis County denied a local newspaper inspection access to election documents.
The conclusion: The county did not respond appropriately by denying the request.
The opinion stated that “the plain language of section 201.091, subdivision 4, makes clear that other voter information, in addition to the elements identified on the public information list, may be accessible by the public.”
IPAD’s response to Minnesota Majority further noted that “individuals may rely upon a written opinion of the Commissioner even if the opinion was issued to another party,” meaning it applies to Minnesota Majority’s dispute with Ramsey County Elections.
Under the provisions of the Minnesota Data Practices Act, a court must give deference to the opinions issued by IPAD. The Act also provides for criminal penalties, suspension without pay and termination of public employees who willfully violate the Act.
Unfortunately, the situation isn’t isolated to Ramsey County. Minnesota Majority is now receiving word from other counties that Data Practices Act requests for election documents are being denied. Ramsey County has set a terrible and dangerous precedent for transparency that absolutely must not be allowed to stand in a republic of, by and for the People.
With IPAD opinion in hand, Minnesota Majority is now preparing a lawsuit to gain access to the documents which are by law, public.
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We will donate but just need some budget u r using
We get many of these but now need to have accountability
A typical lawsuit against government agencies costs $10,000, but it can go higher, depending on the level of resistance and whether appeals are involved. When we sued the Secretary of State over his plans to change the title of the Voter ID amendment on the ballot, it cost almost $100,000.
Election results are part of the Public Record, aren’t they?!
We’ve got election fraud going on in our small little town of Le Center, Minnesota as well. One of the announced winners of a write-in spot on the city council lives outside the city limits.
http://mankatofreepress.com/local/x2056572403/Councilman-elects-residency-questioned-by-former-candidate
What a bunch of cowards running this state. The art of the thieving highly paid, disingenuous. No integrity. No decency! No principle! Disposable contents of poor character. Minnesota deserves better!
Mark Dayton talking about the highest earners refuses to acknowledge who those are as non productive government employees taking from everyone else income that earn their money and the non profit employees who earn any level of pay to promote nothing but themselves without the obligations, responsibilities or costs profitable organizations have. He touts “better government service?” who in this state has been so severely misgoverned to have to look for ANY GOVERNMENT SERVICE they couldn’t find the service genuine and accountable in the private sector for themselves and government service or not can pay for themselves! Why aren’t they paying for it? We can’t have dishonest, irresponsible people governing Minnesotans to be irresponsible just the same. Didn’t Mark Dayton’s parents teach him to pay for what he wants without stealing from anyone else to get it? Not a good representative of Minnesota. Democrats are delusional with no sign of recovery.