ST. PAUL, Minn. — The Minnesota Secretary of State’s office said it updated its review process for applicants automatically registering to vote when they get their state-issued ID in order to prevent errors.
November’s election is the state’s largest since the automatic voter registration law passed last year and more than 65,000 people have done so since the new system took effect at the end of April. Now Minnesotans applying for or renewing their IDs who provide documentation can get registered without opting in; instead, they can choose to opt out.
About 25,500 more 16- and 17-year-olds pre-registered this way, according to the secretary of state’s office, which is another new statute approved by the DFL-controlled state legislature last year.
Legislative Republicans recently raised concern about the process, seeking clarity about how the state ensures no one ineligible to cast a ballot is registered to vote during automatic voter registration.