News Room

SAINT PAUL – On August 14, 2026, Minnesota Secretary of State Steve Simon released the following statement about hidden camera videos from inside of polling places posted online.

“During Minnesota’s Primary on August 11, 2026, members of a widely discredited Florida-based political group visited several polling places in Minneapolis impersonating Minnesota voters. Dressed in what they called “Muslim” costumes, and imitating foreign accents, they falsely claimed to be registered Minnesota voters. The group used concealed cameras to record their interactions with poll workers, releasing a heavily edited video of their encounters. Their apparent goal was to cast doubt on one or more Minnesota election laws that have been in force for over fifty years. Instead, they revealed their ignorance of how those laws actually work – while putting themselves in legal jeopardy.

Poll workers immediately reported these visits to local election officials and law enforcement is reviewing the situation.

The misconduct by this group is outrageous and totally unacceptable. We have zero tolerance for lying, lawbreaking, and disruptions at our polling places.

Voters deserve better, as do the tens of thousands of our neighbors and friends who serve as poll workers. Our aim, as always, is to ensure that our polling places are islands of calm. Minnesota laws are there to ensure that outcome.”

About Vouching

Minnesota law has allowed for vouching for more than 50 years. However, use of the process is very rare. In the 2024 general election, less than 0.6% of votes cast used this process. Around 71% of those voters were already registered to vote but needed to update their name or address in their voter record.

Vouching can only be used to provide proof of a potential voter’s residence in the precinct. The potential voter must still provide their Minnesota driver’s license or ID card number or the last four digits of their social security number for identity verification. Vouching is commonly used in senior living facilities by residents who have not updated their driver’s licenses to reflect their current residence. It is also used in cases where an eligible voter has recently moved to a new address and lacks identification indicating the new address.

Under the law, the only persons eligible to vouch are voters registered in the same precinct as the person for whom they are vouching, or employees of authorized residential facilities who provide proof of their employment at the facility. Vouchers must sign an affidavit under penalty of perjury that they personally know the person being vouched for is a resident of the precinct.

Every voter who registers or updates their registration on Election Day, including those who are vouched for, is recorded by local election officials and verified in our state database after each election. If a discrepancy is found during this process it is referred to local law enforcement for investigation and possible prosecution.