Stance on voter ID

Policy Statement: Fixing Minnesota’s Broken ID System to Protect Voters and Elections

I support exploring voter identification policies, but only if the state fixes its own identification system first. Right now, Minnesota’s ID process is not just inefficient — it is punitive to the voter.

Here is the problem, plainly stated:

If you apply for a REAL ID in Minnesota and later realize you need an ID today, the state will:

Charge you again for a lesser ID issued in office

Cancel your REAL ID application

Keep the money you already paid for the REAL ID

And effectively tell you: you’re out of luck

That is not voter protection. That is bureaucratic failure.

I know firsthand that it does not have to work this way. In Arkansas, I was issued a REAL ID in person, the same day. No mailing delays. No duplicate fees. No cancellation. No forfeited money.

If Arkansas can do same-day, in-person REAL ID issuance, Minnesota — larger, better funded, and more technologically advanced — has no excuse for a system that penalizes people for needing identification when life actually happens.

This broken mail-first model does two harmful things at once:

1. It opens the door to fraud and errors by relying on mail delivery and delayed verification.

2. It punishes legitimate voters who need identification quickly for work, housing, travel, or voting.

We should not be mailing foundational identity documents in a modern democracy when in-person verification is safer, faster, and more accountable.

Any discussion of voter ID must start with this principle:

> The state must be able to issue secure, affordable ID in person, same day — without canceling applications or confiscating fees.

Bigger government should mean better systems, not more hoops.

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Voter ID Policy — Q & A (Corrected)

Q: Do you support voter ID?

A: I support exploring voter ID only after Minnesota fixes its ID issuance system so it does not punish voters.

Q: What specifically is wrong with Minnesota’s current system?

A: If you apply for a REAL ID and later need an ID immediately, the state will cancel your REAL ID application, keep your money, and charge you again for a lesser ID. That’s unacceptable.

Q: Why is this a problem for elections?

A: Because it discourages people from obtaining valid identification and undermines trust in the system. Voters shouldn’t be financially penalized for complying with the law.

Q: Do you have firsthand experience with a better system?

A: Yes. I received a REAL ID in Arkansas in person, same day. Minnesota can and should do the same.

Q: Does mail-based ID processing increase risk?

A: Yes. Mailing IDs increases the risk of loss, delay, interception, and administrative error — all of which weaken election integrity.

Q: What’s the solution?

A: In-person, same-day ID issuance that is affordable, secure, and does not cancel or penalize existing applications.

Q: Is this about restricting voting?

A: No. It’s about fixing the system so lawful voters aren’t the ones paying the price for state inefficiency.