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James O'Keefe @JamesOKeefeIII - I went undercover in Minneapolis, Michigan on Primary Election Day with @anthonyjrubin, founder of @realmuckraker and @camhigby, members of the Justice League and OMG undercover journalists to put Minnesota’s voter “vouching” system to the test.
Under Minnesota’s Statutes § 201.061, a registered voter can sign an affidavit affirming that they know another individual resides in the same precinct, allowing that person to register at the polls without presenting standard proof of residence. One registered voter can vouch for up to eight people.
We wanted to find out what this actually looks like inside a polling place and how far election workers would let us take it.
Disguised in traditional Muslim attire, we entered polling locations across Minneapolis and presented an intentionally extreme scenario to expose the sheer lunacy of Minnesota’s ‘vouching’ system. I told workers that the people accompanying me were unregistered and repeatedly pressed them about identification, how many people I could bring in, and what would be required for them to register.
Again and again, workers explained the vouching process to us.
At one location, after I made clear that the people with me were not registered, a worker told me I could vouch for as many as eight people. I told them I would leave, get additional people and return. The worker explained that because I was already registered, I could serve as the voucher.
At another location, a poll worker explained that if everyone was in the same precinct and I was already registered there, I could vouch for their residency.
When I pressed her about identification, she put it plainly: “You’re the ID.”
At White Park Recreation Center, a worker explained that a voucher must personally know the individuals and know that they live within the precinct. The worker also explained that the voucher signs a legal oath affirming their residency, while the individuals being vouched for sign an oath affirming their own identity and eligibility to vote.
I asked whether their eligibility was actually verified. “After the fact, yeah,” the worker responded.
We wanted to put the process to an extreme real-world test and document what election workers would tell us when confronted with the scenario firsthand. The purpose wasn't simply to ask what Minnesota law says on paper.
Not every worker reacted the same way. Some became suspicious of our team and challenged what we were doing.
But across the locations captured in our investigation, we documented workers explaining how Minnesota’s vouching process could be used to establish residency for people registering at the polls without standard identification.
The investigation is part of an ongoing @ctznjusticelg series, with additional follow-up reporting from @anthonyjrubin, founder of @realmuckraker & @camhigby coming soon.
If you've witnessed fraud in your community or have information, email [email protected] or message us securely on Signal: 914-491-9395.
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