Summary Issue: SF 1803: Eliminating Voter Privacy & Secret Ballots LWV Minnesota: Opposes Testimony LWV opposes any bill that would restrict the right of eligible voters to vote. Measures that could deter voters, like the requirement in this bill for challenged ballots to be marked by the election judge with the voter’s identification number, have no place in Minnesota’s election law. Secrecy of the ballot, one of the most fundamental principles of our democracy, would be violated under SF 1803. The right to cast a secret ballot in a public election is a core value in the United States’ system of self-governance. Secrecy and privacy in elections guard against coercion and are essential to integrity in the electoral process. This bill would require that personally identifying information be written on a challenged voter’s ballot, effectively removing the voter’s ability to cast a secret ballot in an election. Secrecy of the ballot is guaranteed in state constitutions and statutes nationwide. The vast majority of states (44) have constitutional provisions guaranteeing secrecy in voting, while the remaining states have statutory provisions referencing secrecy in voting. The right to secret ballot is protected under Minnesota law by chapter 204C. Tying a voters’ name to their ballot is a form of voter intimidation. It allows for coercion and must not be written into Minnesota law. This bill also would make private information on voters into public information. A likely result would be the harassment of eligible voters who have received challenged status due to administrative errors or delays in reporting. This bill would open the door to coercion and intimidation of voters. This has already happened in Virginia, where a radical group knowingly misrepresented the contents of public records and falsely accused innocent Virginians of felony voter fraud. Releasing a voter’s personal information is a form of voter intimidation. The League of Women Voters Minnesota urges members to vote against SF 1803. About LWV The League of Women Voters is proud to be nonpartisan, neither supporting nor opposing candidates or political parties at any level of government, but always working on vital issues of concern to members and the public. We envision a democracy where every person has the desire, the right, the knowledge and the confidence to participate. Empowering Voters. Defending Democracy.

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