No Ballots Tampered with After Being Left Unattended in Hennepin County

Screenshot of the social media post showing ballots unattended in an open trunk of a car (Screenshot/X: @SD50MNGOP)

The Minnesota Secretary of State says a review shows no ballots were tampered with after a social media post showed them exposed and unattended in a public parking lot.

A Hennepin County contractor left unsealed transfer cases containing voted absentee ballot signature envelopes unattended in a vehicle with an open trunk hatch for several minutes last Friday in the parking lot outside Edina City Hall. The review by Hennepin County determined that no ballots were compromised, and the City of Edina has released surveillance footage to show that no tampering took place.

Secretary of State Steve Simon said in a statement Monday that the incident was “totally unacceptable” and that the county has taken “appropriate, swift, and transparent action to determine that no ballots were compromised and to ensure this will not happen again.”

A press release says that in Minnesota, elections are conducted by local election officials at the county, city, and township level. The Office of the Minnesota Secretary of State provides resources, training, and support to these election officials.