ST. PAUL, Minn. – Despite strenuous Republican objections, the Minnesota House voted 69-62 for a bill designed to expand election access for voters. The wide-ranging bill broadens ballot box access, especially for younger voters. It also improves voting access for voters of color and bans prison gerrymandering. In robust debate House Republicans attempted 10 times to weaken the bill with amendments but failed. The bill next goes to the State Senate. The bill’s chief sponsor, Emma Greenman, D-Minneapolis, said that passage would prohibit voting standards that limit any citizen’s right to vote based on race, color or language. These, Greenman said, include insufficient polling places, redistricting that packs persons of color to weaken their voting strength, and lack of language assistance for voters whose first language is not English. Also, the bill expedites settlement of access issues on the spot without going to court. “This will be the first time we put into Minnesota law prohibitions against discriminating based on race in voting,” Greenman said. Other provisions:
> Inmate counts. Prisoners would be counted as residents of their home communities, not the location of their correctional facility.
> Campus voting. Counties with college populations would be required to create additional pollig places to accommodate college students.
> Deep fake tactics The bill also strengthens penalties for using deepfake technology to influence elections.
Greenman. A Minneapolis Democrat. A lawyer. In second House term. Chair of House Elections Finance and Policy Committee.