Minnesota Supreme Court to decide if Oak Grove can revert to paper voter rosters

Oak Grove, an outer-ring city of the Twin Cities, filed a petition with the Minnesota Supreme Court to overturn the secretary of state’s rejection of its 2024 resolution to switch back to paper voter rosters. The city maintains that because it runs its own polling places, it should have final authority over roster format, citing risks of electronic system failures and a desire for transparency. County and state representatives counter that the county auditor, as the head election official, determines roster formats for federal, state and countywide elections.

The justices examined the statutory language, expressing doubt about whether the legislature clearly assigned that authority and debating the trade-off between uniformity and local control. Both sides highlighted potential consequences: the city warned of electronic crashes, while officials warned that paper books could lengthen wait times. The court signaled it will issue a ruling quickly ahead of the upcoming general election.