Conservative legal group says it will target Nicollet County

Tim Krohn, The Free Press, Mankato, Minn.
Updated ·2 min read

Sep. 26—ST. PETER — A conservative legal foundation that has filed complaints around the country over election rules said Monday it plans to file a complaint against Nicollet County for allegedly failing to remove duplicate registrations from the county voter roll.

"Available government records indicate that there are 4 people on Nicollet County's voter roll that have two voter registration numbers, despite having the same year of birth and address," the Public Interest Legal Foundation said in a press release.

The PILF was one of four nonprofits that Reuters identified in 2020 as part of a network of attorneys that has fed into the national Republican push to seek voting restrictions and purge voters from the rolls. Those four groups filed lawsuits over election rules over an eight-year period, the news service reported.

Nicollet County Attorney Michelle Zehnder Fischer said she saw the press release but said she doesn't have any information other than what she read in the release.

PILF said it is not filing a lawsuit but a Help America Vote Act (HAVA) complaint. They are asking for a hearing by the Secretary of State and seeking to have the county correct alleged discrepancies and create a plan to prevent issues in the future.

PILF said that states are required to implement a computerized statewide voter registration list that is accurate and eliminates duplicate registrations. The group said it plans to file six complaints in Minnesota counties this week.

In Minnesota, information on registered voters, including their contact information and voting history, is available from the state for a fee. There are about 21,000 registered voters in Nicollet County, according to the Secretary of State's Office. In the 2020 election, 19,217 residents cast ballots, according to Jaci Kopet, who oversees elections for Nicollet County.

PILF said in an email to The Free Press that they purchased the voter roll on Aug. 21, 2022.

PILF also said that one of the alleged duplicate registrants, Damian Kingbird, voted twice in the 2020 election. Kingbird was committed to the Minnesota Security Hospital in St. Peter after being found guilty of sexual assault and other crimes. In 2017 Kingbird was charged with an assault at the state hospital. He has numerous charges and convictions listed on the state court system, but none for voter fraud.

PILF said it "exists to assist states and others to aid the cause of election integrity and fight against lawlessness in American elections."