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DECISION 2022

Decision 2022, elections, Steele County
Candidates share views about voting and ID
By
Kay Fate, Staff Writer

In an effort to keep you, our readers, well-informed and abreast of relevant issues, today is the 17th in a series of questions we are asking all of Steele County’s candidates for state office.

We want voters to know where each candidate stands on the issues to make their best decision at the ballot box.

Each week, we’ll ask the candidates a new question. They will all receive the same question, be given a word limit and a deadline of four days to answer. We’ll publish their answers the following Wednesday; responses may be edited for length.

The series will continue through Oct. 26, then we’ll give the candidates a little break before the Nov. 8 general election.

If a candidate doesn’t respond, we’ll note that.

This week, we’re asking about Voter IDs:

Current Minnesota law does not require photo identification at the polls for registered voters. Minnesota voters can also register at the polls on the day of an election by providing one of several approved forms of proof of address, or by having a registered voter vouch for them. A proposed bill from the State Senate in 2021 required – among other things – that all voters present a photo ID at the polls. It narrowly passed the Senate but had no support in the House of Representatives.

Do you support laws that require all voters to produce an official photo ID in order to vote? Why or why not? If yes, what types of IDs do you think should qualify? There was a 300-word limit.

We advise you to ignore the R or DFL behind each name and reflect only on the answers. You might be surprised to find more common ground than you expected. An (i) indicates the incumbent candidate, though with this spring’s redistricting, the district numbers may not align with the seat they’re seeking.

 

Question of the Week:

Do you support laws that require all voters to produce an official photo ID in order to vote? Why or why not? If yes, what types of IDs do you think should qualify?  (300 words)

 

Minnesota House District 19B

Abdulahi Ali Osman – DFL, of Owatonna:

No response.

 

John Petersburg – R (i-24A), of Waseca:

If you think about it, no one seems to be concerned about showing an ID when buying alcohol or cigarettes or entering a casino to gamble or to get on an airplane, but if requested to show an ID to vote it raises claims of abuse and oppression.

The right to vote is one of our most important and protected rights granted by the constitution. It doesn't matter if you think there has been past voter fraud or not, we must do everything we can to increase voter confidence and their trust in the voting system.

Yes, I do support requiring a photo ID to vote. It will eliminate one of the concerns that some voters have. That is verifying the identity and therefore the afforded right to vote. I would think any ID that would qualify for verifying identity would suffice and, in addition, we need to make sure we reduce any obstacles to acquiring that ID.

 

Minnesota House District 23A

Peggy Bennett – R (i-27A), of Albert Lea:

Right or wrong, if the perception is there that a vote doesn’t count it will create anger and erode the trust between people. Everyone, no matter what political party, should come away from an election feeling like it’s a fair election. 

Photo IDs are required for many things, including buying cigarettes, cashing a check, boarding an airplane, receiving food stamps, and purchasing a fishing license. Even the Minnesota DFL party required an approved photo ID to get into their state convention last spring.

For many other countries, including most of Europe, photo IDs for voting are required and non-contentious. I support photo IDs as one important measure to ensure election integrity. Why shouldn’t people have to prove who they say they are for something as important as voting?

To say that requiring an ID is voter suppression because people of color or poverty just don’t have the wherewithal to get an ID is offensive. Are those claiming this questioning the intelligence or ingenuity of these people? 

The real issue is accessibility. We need to make sure that any eligible voter who doesn’t have an appropriate ID is able to get one. 

Voter ID legislation should contain robust provisions to issue free photo ID cards for eligible voters who do not have any of the required IDs. It should also establish a provisional balloting process for voters who don’t have an approved ID at the time of voting, allowing the voter up to seven days after the election to prove their identity. Finally, there are any number of photo IDs that could be appropriate, such as a driver’s license, state issued ID, military ID, or passport.

No voter should walk away from an election feeling that his/her vote doesn’t count. Election integrity matters. Let’s get voter ID passed!

 

Mary Hinnenkamp – DFL, of Albert Lea:

Minnesota has one of the best-run election systems in the country. Our votes are accurate and safe and we routinely rank at the top for voter participation. We should celebrate and be proud of that!

Some politicians try to gin up the idea that fraud is happening, or claim in advance that elections are rigged if they don’t win, but they never produce substantive proof. Groundless attacks on our voting system are attacks on our democracy, and they lead to events such as the riot to overt turn an election on January 6th.

I am grateful that in January of 2021, my opponent Rep. Bennett voted with the majority on Minnesota House Resolution One to reject the violence of January 6th, and to support the result of the November 2020 election. However, I am dismayed that she deliberately casts unfounded doubts on our state’s voting system and wants to restrict voting access.

I oppose the photo ID requirement for voting. Back in 20I2, voters in Minnesota rejected a photo ID requirement by a clear majority. My mother never learned to drive a car. She had no photo ID and if one had been required, it would been a substantial burden for her involving several trips to another town to obtain one.

She voted in every election all her life because she felt it was her responsibility and because it was simple and accessible.

Documented cases of voter fraud are exceedingly rare. Voter restrictions are unwarranted and just end up disenfranchising people like my mother. No eligible voter should be excluded from participating in the most basic act of democracy, voting!

 

Minnesota House District 23B

Patricia Mueller – R (i-27B), of Austin:

As a citizen of this country, we have the privilege to vote for our leaders. No matter your gender, your skin color, or your income, we each get one vote. That is a sacred right given to citizens of this country and should be protected. Not every country gives its citizens this privilege. Leaders in some countries are chosen because they have the right bloodline or are wealthy. But because our government is a democratic republic, leaders are chosen by the people from among their peers.

Leaders from both sides of the aisle should want safe and secure elections. We should both want our elections conducted with integrity. Citizens have the opportunity to be election judges and challengers to ensure fidelity. The person the citizens choose must be installed into office because that honors the voice of the people.

This is why I support voter ID. One needs identification for a myriad of activities including flying, buying alcohol, getting insurance, opening a bank account, applying for welfare benefits, and even having procedures done at the hospital. It seems reasonable to expect those individuals that want to have a voice in electing the next leaders should be able to prove they are citizens of our country. 

In addition to voter ID, I think we should shorten the early voting time and enact more safeguards on those who vote by mail. There is no reason early voting needs to start 45 days ahead of the election. To those who vote by mail, you should have a witness and a secure envelope with verification. 

There are few civil actions that I take more seriously than voting. This is why we need voter ID, shorten the early voting time, and ensure mail-in ballots are verified.

 

Tom Stiehm – DFL, of Austin:

I think that Minnesota has adequate voter protection laws.

You need an ID to register to vote. You do not need an ID to vote if you have already registered.

Statistically we do not have any more voter fraud than we have had in previous elections.

 

Minnesota Senate District 19

Kate Falvey – DFL, of Faribault:

I do not support a requirement to present a photo ID when voting. The registration process and sign-in are enough verification to vote on the day of voting.

I am not really sure what to add to this. Requiring photo ID is a privileged policy position to take, that I do not support. I am not naive to election concerns, but the system we have works with VERY few irregularities. The people who work on Election Day in this country are patriotic volunteers and should be respected as such. They are from both parties and they are well-trained, observant, detail-oriented, and friendly folks that I think do a great job every time we have an election, whether it is a one-issue levy vote or a Presidential year.

I am grateful for the volunteers in our precincts.

 

John Jasinksi – R (i-24), of Faribault:

I strongly support the requirement to have a photo ID to vote! During my first term in the Senate, I was the co-author of the bill and in my second term I authored a bill for Voter ID.

I believe election integrity is very important and it is something I hear about quite frequently in my district. I do not know the exact percentage, but I believe that approximately 95% of voters in Minnesota have a driver’s license or photo ID and I believe should be required to show it to vote.

In our bill that we proposed, the other 5% would have been provided a photo ID at NO charge. In today’s society there are so many requirements to show your driver’s license or ID, that voting should be one of them. 

I am a 56-year-old male, and definitely show the signs of age, and I still am required to provide my photo ID to buy a case of beer at Hy-Vee liquor. I believe that at this past year’s Democrat convention, their members were required to show a photo ID to enter the event, yet I have never witnessed a Democrat take a positive vote for photo ID in Minnesota. I think that is wrong!

 

Minnesota Senate District 23

 

Gene Dornink – R (i-27), of Brownsdale:

I have spoken with many constituents on this issue, including election judges, and other poll volunteers. To them, requiring a valid ID to vote is a common-sense measure and it has my full support. Every Minnesotan should have confidence in their vote and ensuring confidence should be a top priority to maintain democracy.

Minnesota is only 1 in 15 states that does not have any laws requesting or requiring voters to show some form of identification at the polls. However, Minnesota does require a valid ID to purchase alcohol, rent an apartment, buy a home, get on a plane, drive a car, and attend the DFL State Convention. The notion that eligible voters would be disadvantaged by having a voter ID requirement is unfounded and simply untrue. Currently, we even require a valid ID number to request a mail-in ballot. Why should it be different on Election Day? 

I support allowing a multitude of government identifications to be accepted. We should allow driver’s licenses, passports, military ID cards, and government issued personal ID cards (which are distributed in place of driver’s licenses for those not able to drive). These forms of ID are readily available and nearly every eligible voter will already have at least one of them. As your Senator, I will always fight for your rights and freedoms and that starts by ensuring every ballot is cast freely and fairly without influence. Requiring an ID to vote is one step to instill confidence that every vote is cast with confidence.

More importantly, I want to hear from you! Send me an email with your thoughts at sen.gene.dornink@senate.mn.

 

Brandon Lawhead – DFL, of Austin:

No response.

 

Next week’s question

The two guarantees in life – death and taxes – carry a bit more weight in Minnesota.

The state’s income tax rates start at 5.35%, and seniors run the risk of having the state tax a part of their Social Security benefits and pensions.

The 1.08% property tax rate is slightly above the national average, though Steele County is even higher, at 1.23%.

Sales tax rates in the state are higher than the national average, too, and Minnesota also imposes an estate tax.

All of that to say, residents pay a lot of taxes. Do you have ideas or plans for any sort of tax relief? There will be a limit of 300 words.

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