Dakota County residents press board on mail voting order

On Sept. 1, Dakota County residents and church leaders pressed commissioners to sign a pledge refusing to comply with any federal order or data request that would restrict mail voting ahead of the November election.^[1]

Only two of the seven commissioners had responded to the request, organizers said.^[1] Speakers at the county board meeting warned that sudden enforcement of the administration's mail rules could disrupt local election operations and voter access.^[1]

President Trump signed a March executive order barring the U.S. Postal Service from sending mail-in ballots to voters not on a special registry, with narrow exceptions for illness, disability, military deployment or travel. A federal judge blocked the order, and the White House has asked the U.S. Supreme Court for the third time to let the restrictions take effect before November. Minnesota Secretary of State Steve Simon says about 450,000 Minnesotans voted by mail in 2024 and warns the rules would force a massive, immediate increase in local election staff. Mail voting in Minnesota is scheduled to start Sept. 18, leaving little time for counties to adjust if the Supreme Court abruptly allows the federal restrictions.

1. FOX 9