Private money helped pay to conduct Minnesota’s election

Minnesota’s election directors say private money fueled by donations from Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg helped them successfully execute an election threatened by safety concerns amid the coronavirus pandemic, an avalanche of early arriving ballots, and President Donald Trump’s repeated attempts to undermine the legitimacy of voting by mail.

The Chicago-based nonprofit Center for Tech and Civic Life delivered grants to election offices in more than 2,500 jurisdictions across the country — including 28 Minnesota cities and counties. View the post and listen here.

Federal judge denies GOP challenge to Minnesota’s extended absentee ballot deadline

Judge turns back GOP challenge, says ballots postmarked Nov. 3 are valid if received by Nov. 10. 

Minnesota absentee ballots postmarked by Nov. 3 can be counted even if they’re received up to a week after Election Day, under a federal judge’s order turning back a Republican challenge to the extended balloting deadline.

The ruling Sunday by U.S. District Judge Nancy Brasel upholds a Minnesota state court agreement spurred by the COVID-19 pandemic that allows counting of absentee ballots received up to Nov. 10. State officials are seeing a record number of mail-in ballots this year.

Attorneys for state Rep. Eric Lucero, R-Dayton, and GOP activist James Carson, who challenged the agreement, appealed the order on Monday. Brasel ruled that the two men lacked legal standing to challenge the deal. Continue reading.