Learn About Where Secretary Of State Candidates Land On Voting Issues

Voting is the cornerstone of our democracy, and the fundamental right upon which all other civil liberties rest. The Minnesota Secretary of State is a crucial part of making sure this system runs fairly and accurately so every vote counts. The SOS oversees statewide elections and operates the statewide voter registration system.

The ACLU of Minnesota does not support or oppose candidates, but urges you to cast an informed vote.

On the left, an image of a smiling Minnesota Secretary of State Steve Simon with the American and Minnesota flags in the background. On the right, an image of candidate for Minnesota Secretary of State, a smiling Kim Crockett with glasses. — Left: Minnesota Secretary of State Steve Simon. Right: Candidate for Minnesota Secretary of State Kim Crockett.

Issues	Steve Simon	Kim Crockett
Do you believe the 2020 election results were recorded fairly and in accordance with the law?	Absolutely. The 2020 elections were under tremendous scrutiny, more than any election I can remember in my lifetime, and the results were clear: the election was fundamentally fair, accurate, honest, and secure. Period.	No*
If elected, do you commit to certifying the results of elections after every vote is counted?	Yes, absolutely.	No*
If elected, do you commit to mailing absentee ballot applications to all registered voters every two years during each federal election cycle?	My office proudly did so in 2020. But resource constraints preclude the same mailings this year. If resources become available in the future, my inclination will be to proceed with these mailings.	No*
Over 2 million early ballots were requested in the 2020 election. If elected, do you commit to protecting Minnesota's early-vote-by-mail opportunities?	Absolutely! I actually wrote the law to make Minnesota a "no-excuses absentee ballot" state, making sure that Minnesotans could vote from home if they preferred or needed to without swearing under penalty of perjury that they would be out of town. We have a great menu of options in Minnesota, and voting by mail is a critical part of that.	No*
If elected, do you commit to protecting the right of voters with disabilities or language access concerns to have assistance while casting their ballots?	Absolutely! In fact, I have expanded our protections for voters with disabilities and for those with language access concerns during my time as Secretary of State. For example, we've more than doubled the number of languages we translate our election materials in from 5 to 12. As someone who is the son of an immigrant, I know my mom would want technical documents like this in her native language, regardless of her proficiency in English. That's how things work in the real world, and it's why I'm not going to stop at 12! We're going to keep adding new languages as needed to make sure our elections are as accessible to every eligible Minnesotan as possible, regardless of whether they have a disability or are non-native English speakers.	No*
If elected, do you commit to advocating for automatic restoration of voting rights for Minnesotans returning to their communities upon release from prison?	Yes, absolutely. This is long overdue, and we need to do it ASAP.	No*
If elected, do you commit to requiring an adequate number of secure state-funded dropboxes be available in every community?	I have always supported the use of drop boxes as an important convenience for voters. In fact, our office successfully negotiated the appropriation of millions of dollars in 2021 to incentivize drop box use in counties and cities all over Minnesota. The best approach, in my judgment, is such incentivization - but I am open to statutory changes that would provide a reasonable ratio of voters-to-drop boxes - particularly in areas of most urgent need.	No*

Questionnaires were sent to both candidates via email on August 31 with a deadline of September 9. Follow-up attempts were made via public-facing social media accounts. Candidates were informed that their responses, or lack of response, may be made public, and that, unanswered questions would be treated as a “no.”

What you can do:

Vote Your Values, Fight for Your Rights

Take the pledge

Trump's Attempt to Unilaterally Control State and Local Funding is Dangerous, Dumb, and Undemocratic

The Trump administration has not been subtle in its desire to use federal funding for political punishment. Whether threatening to cut off grants to sanctuary cities, to block financial assistance to states that push back against the president’s demands, or to freeze all federal grants and loans for social services across the country, Trump and his allies want us to believe they can wield the federal budget like a weapon. The reality is that the administration’s ability to withhold or condition funding is far more limited than they let on. The Constitution, Supreme Court precedent, and long-standing federal law stand firmly in the way of this brazen abuse of presidential power. Trump’s Attempted Funding Freeze? Blocked Immediately A week into his second administration, Trump attempted to freeze trillions of dollars in federal grants and loans that fund a vast array of critical services already approved by Congress. If allowed to go into effect, this unprecedented and far-reaching...

Documents Reveal Confusion and Lack of Training in Texas Execution

As Texas seeks to execute Carl Buntion today and Melissa Lucio next week, it is worth reflecting on the grave and irreversible failures that occurred when the state executed Quintin Jones on May 19, 2021. For the first time in its history — and in violation of a federal court’s directive and the Texas Administrative Code — Texas excluded the media from witnessing the state’s execution of Quintin Jones. In the months that followed, Texas executed two additional people without providing any assurance that the underlying dysfunction causing errors at Mr. Jones’ execution were addressed. This is particularly concerning given that Texas has executed far more people than any other state and has botched numerous executions. The First Amendment guarantees the public and the press have a right to observe executions. Media access to executions is a critical form of public oversight as the government exerts its power to end a human life. Consistent with Texas policy, two reporters travelled t...

The Supreme Court Declined a Protestors' Rights Case. Here's What You Need to Know.

The Supreme Court recently declined to hear a case, Mckesson v. Doe , that could have affirmed that the First Amendment protects protest organizers from being held liable for illegal actions committed by others present that organizers did not direct or intend. The high court’s decision to not hear the case at this time left in place an opinion by the Fifth Circuit, which covers Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas, that said a protest organizer could be liable for the independent, violent actions of others based on nothing more than a showing of negligence. Across the country, many people have expressed concern about how the Supreme Court’s decision not to review, or hear, the case at this stage could impact the right to protest. The ACLU, which asked the court to take up the case, breaks down what the court’s denial of review means. What Happened in Mckesson v. Doe? The case, Mckesson v. Doe , was brought by a police officer against DeRay Mckesson , a prominent civil rights activi...

Search This Blog