Minnesota Supreme Court weighs demand for bipartisan judges at early polls in Minneapolis

A voter-rights group asked the Minnesota Supreme Court to require Minneapolis to staff early-voting sites with election judges from both major parties, citing state law.

On Tuesday, the Minnesota Voters Alliance urged the state Supreme Court to compel Minneapolis to use bipartisan election judges at its early-voting locations, asserting that state statutes mandate party-balanced judges for key duties. Attorney Nicholas Nelson contended that allowing nonpartisan staff to perform those functions undermines the safeguards applied on Election Day. City attorney Adam Szymanski and Assistant Attorney General Allen Barr warned that imposing the same staffing rules on early voting would create unsustainable costs and potentially reduce early-voting availability.

The justices probed the legislative intent, noting the early-voting statute omits the party-balance language present in other election-judge provisions, and raised concerns about voter assistance rights. Justice Paul Thissen and Justice Karl Procaccini highlighted the risk of limiting help for voters with language or physical challenges. Chief Justice Natalie Hudson indicated the court will decide well before the October 16 early-voting start to give municipalities time to adjust. The ruling will set precedent for all Minnesota counties and cities.