Former Special Forces sought by business group to guard polling sites in Minnesota, company says ...

[mahatmakanejeeves]

David Fahrenthold Retweeted

NEW: Former Special Forces sought by business group to guard polling sites in Minnesota, company says, from
@partlowj

Link to tweet

[Thomas Hurt]

1. ahhh, new rat fuckery....

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

2. What are they supposed to be doing? Poll *watchers* are illegal in Minnesota.

And nobody who isn't there to vote can stand around a polling place anyhow:

"204C.06 CONDUCT IN AND NEAR POLLING PLACES.
§Subdivision 1.Persons allowed near polling place. An individual shall be allowed to go to and from the polling place for the purpose of voting without unlawful interference. No one except an election official or an individual who is waiting to register or to vote or an individual who is conducting exit polling shall stand within 100 feet of the building in which a polling place is located. "

Poll challengers must have personal knowledge that an individual is ineligible to vote in that location.
https://www.sos.state.mn.us/elections-voting/election-day-voting/rules-for-challengers/

[dflprincess]

7. I received an email from the DFL about being a poll watcher

it did note that the state officially calls them "poll challengers" though "watcher" is the common term and the one used most in the email. (And watching is really what you mostly do.)

I considered signing up but the choice of shifts was 6:30 AM to 1:00 PM and then from 1:00 to 8:00 - or when the last voter left which will certainly be later than 8. If I had decided to sign up, I would have had to go to a training (on line) and that I would be sent a letter from the party confirming I had completed the training, was the party's designated representative, and what precinct I had been assigned to. The letter, along with my I.D. would have to be presented to the chief election judge in the precinct as soon as I arrived.

It went on to say that watchers really aren't there to challenge voters but more to make sure no interference with voting. Any problems would be reported to the phone numbers (I assume to the DFL or Secertary of State) that the poll watchers/challengers would be given.

Each party is allowed to have 1 and only 1 representative in polling place at any time.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

8. The Secretary of State's web site makes the distinction:

Is a challenger a poll watcher?

No. The only action a challenger may take is to contest a voter’s eligibility, if and only if they have personal knowledge of that voter’s ineligibility.

Minnesota law does not authorize poll watchers. For a complete list of who's allowed to be present in a polling place, see Minnesota Statutes 204C.06.

What I think they mean by (illegal) poll watchers is people who want to just stand around, either inside the polling place or right outside, to potentially intimidate people, which is exactly what the GOP's goons want to do.

[dflprincess]

10. I think the DFL was using the term watcher because it's what most people have heard

the email did mention that, legally, Minnesota uses "challenger".

[dflprincess]

3. I wonder what polling sites they plan to "guard"?

There are strict rules about who can be in a polling place. If you're not a judge, voting or waiting to, or a party's official poll watcher (Only 1 per party) you need to leave.

[progree]

4. Repugs are cutting back on ads, so they can spend money on this instead. Hmm

[geardaddy]

5. Who is the company?

I'm guessing Cambria or My Pillow.

[Randomthought]

11. One of Trump's kids was in Becker recently

Husband and I think that may have something to do with this. I want to know who is paying.
Edited for typo

[progree]

6. Secretary of State responds

‘Every MN Voter Should Feel Confident’: Sec. Of State Responds To Report Ex-Special Forces Being Recruited To Guard Polling Places, WCCO, 10/9/20

... Simon responded Friday saying the following:

“Private security or other related individuals or groups are not are not allowed inside polling places, only one “challenger” per major political party is allowed in each polling place, and no one else other than a voter or an administrator is allowed within one hundred feet of the entrance of a polling place.”

Simon said that his office is working with state and federal law enforcement to ensure existing laws are enforced.

“In addition, our 30,000 election judges at nearly 3,000 polling places are well-trained on those laws. Any outside effort to supplement election judges or local law enforcement is counterproductive, unwelcome, and possibly unlawful,” Simon said.

The Secretary of State’s office added that voters are allowed to carry firearms if they’re in lawful possession of them if the polling place itself doesn’t ban firearms.

More: https://minnesota.cbslocal.com/2020/10/09/every-mn-voter-should-feel-confident-sec-of-state-responds-to-report-ex-special-forces-being-recruited-to-guard-polling-places/

[dflprincess]

9. I wondered about the gun thing

Last edited Sun Oct 11, 2020, 07:52 PM - Edit history (1)

My area moved all the polling places out of schools and into churches for security. The church where I vote not only bans guns in the building, but anywhere on the grounds.

Not that I think these nuts will be showing up in the 'burbs to "protect voters from Antifa".