Voter ID complaint targets Ritchie

Published 11:27 am Friday, October 5, 2012

ST. PAUL — Minnesota’s top election official is the target of a complaint from Republican senators who accuse him of misleading voters on a proposed voter identification requirement.

Sens. Mike Parry of Waseca and Scott Newman of Hutchinson filed the complaint Thursday with the Office of Administrative Hearings.

It alleges that Secretary of State Mark Ritchie broke state campaign laws by claiming on his official website and in local newspaper interviews that the voter ID constitutional amendment could cost $50 million to implement, end same-day voter registration and disenfranchise military voters. It also accuses the Democratic secretary of state of using state resources to work against the amendment.

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A spokeswoman says Ritchie had yet to receive the complaint.

Newman says state money won’t be used to pay for the complaint, but legislative staff distributed a news release about it on official stationery from Parry’s office.