Early midterm voting surges toward the state record, two men who said they’d expose voter fraud now faces felony charges, and don’t forget to set your clocks back Sunday.
Transcript
WITH HEADLINES FROM AROUND THE STATE, I’M XAN HOLSTON.
COMING UP … PROTESTERS DEMANDING TO BE HEARD DELAYED A KEY VOTE FOR A MEGA DATA CENTER PROJECT...
[JOHN RAMOS, DULUTH MONITOR: IT JUST WAS A MASSIVE CROWD, PROBABLY THE BIGGEST I’VE EVER SEEN.]
PLUS.. TWO CONSERVATIVE INFLUENCERS WHO SAY THEY WANTED TO EXPOSE VOTER FRAUD... NOW FACE FELONIES THEMSELVES...
BUT FIRST …
--EARLY VOTING NUMBERS--
WITH LESS THAN A WEEK LEFT BEFORE ELECTION DAY … MINNESOTA IS FAST APPROACHING A NEW MIDTERM EARLY VOTING RECORD.
MORE THAN FOUR-HUNDRED-THOUSAND VOTERS CAST A BALLOT BY LAST THURSDAY … NEARLY 50 PERCENT MORE THAN THE SAME POINT FOR THE PREVIOUS RECORD SET DURING THE 20-22 MIDTERM ELECTION.
IN-PERSON EARLY VOTING CONTINUES THROUGH MONDAY.
--EAST GRAND FORKS--
ONE PLACE RESIDENTS AREN'T VOTING EARLY IN PERSON … EAST GRAND FORKS’ CITY HALL.
THE WESTERN MINNESOTA CITY SAYS IT CAN'T MEET STATE REQUIREMENTS FOR IN-PERSON EARLY VOTING … SO... PEOPLE NEED TO GO TO THE POLK COUNTY GOVERNMENT CENTER... IN CROOKSTON.
IN PERSON VOTING *WILL BE OPEN AT EAST GRAND FORKS CITY HALL ON ELECTION DAY ...
--FREE BUSING TO THE POLLS--
IF YOU NEED A HELP GETTING TO THE POLLS … SEVERAL TRANSIT SERVICES IN THE STATE ARE GIVING FREE RIDES...
BUSES IN ROCHESTER … AND THE SAINT CLOUD AND DULUTH AREAS … ARE ELIMINATING BUS FARES TO THE POLLS ON ELECTION DAY … YOU JUST HAVE TO LET THE DRIVER KNOW YOU’RE ON YOUR WAY TO VOTE.
IN SOUTHERN MINNESOTA … ‘SMART TRANSIT’ DOING THE SAME IN FREEBORN ... MOWER ... STEELE ... AND WASECA COUNTIES.
JUST CHECK WITH YOUR LOCAL PROVIDER .. BECAUSE SOME ROUTES MAY REQUIRE ADVANCED PLANNING.
--HENNEPIN COUNTY PRIMARY ELECTION CHARGES--
AS VOTERS LOOK FORWARD TO MIDTERM ELECTION DAY … HENNEPIN COUNTY PROSECUTORS ARE LOOKING BACK AT AUGUST’S PRIMARY:
TWO MEN WHO CLAIM THEY WERE EXPOSING FRAUD IN MINNESOTA’S VOTER VOUCHING SYSTEM NOW FACE FELONY CHARGES THEMSELVES.
[HCAO MARY MORIARTY: YOU CANNOT GO INTO A POLLING PLACE AND MISIDENTIFY YOURSELF.]
HENNEPIN COUNTY ATTORNEY MARY MORIARTY ANNOUNCED FELONY CHARGES YESTERDAY/WEDNESDAY AGAINST CONSERVATIVE ACTIVISTS JAMES O’KEEFE AND CAMERON HIGBY.
MORIARTY SAYS THE RIGHT-WING SOCIAL MEDIA ACTIVISTS ARE SEEN ON VIDEO ... WEARING DISGUISES AT FOUR POLLING LOCATIONS WHILE THEY USED HIDDEN CAMERAS.
SHE SAYS THE MEN WERE USING STOLEN IDENTITIES TO PORTRAY THEMSELVES AS REGISTERED VOTERS … AND QUESTIONING ELECTION WORKERS ABOUT VOUCHING FOR OTHER PEOPLE TO VOTE.
[HCAO MARY MORIARTY: WHEN YOU WALK IN AND YOU SAY TO THE ELECTION JUDGE, "I AM SO AND SO, AND YOU ARE NOT THAT PERSON. AND I AM HERE TO VOUCH THAT IS PART OF THE APPLICATION PROCESS.]
VOUCHING ALLOWS A REGISTERED VOTER TO CONFIRM … UNDER OATH … THAT UP TO EIGHT OTHER ELIGIBLE VOTERS LIVE IN THE SAME PRECINCT.
MORIARTY SAYS NEITHER MAN CAST A BALLOT... BUT... USING SOMEONE ELSE’S NAME TO BEGIN APPLYING FOR ONE VIOLATES STATE LAW.
IN A VIDEO QUOTED IN THE COMPLAINT … HIGBY SAYS … “I GAVE A NAME THAT IS NOT ME.”
[HCAO MARY MORIARTY: THE QUESTION IS DID THEY INTEND — AND DID THEY — START TO APPLY FOR A BALLOT … WHETHER OR NOT THEY INTENDED TO VOTE IS IRRELEVANT.]
BOTH MEN DENY BREAKING THE LAW... BUT ARE CHARGED WITH FELONY IDENTITY THEFT … AND UNLAWFUL VOTING IN AUGUST’S PRIMARY ELECTION...
BOTH ARE SCHEDULED TO APPEAR IN COURT IN MID-NOVEMBER.
[CHANTS FROM HERMANTOWN MEETING]
--HERMANTOWN GOOGLE DATA CENTER PROTESTS--
MONTHS OF OPPOSITION TO GOOGLE’S PROPOSED DATA CENTER IN HERMANTOWN … NEAR DULUTH … ERUPTED INTO PROTESTS MONDAY... FORCING THE CITY COUNCIL TO CANCEL THE MEETING BEFORE IT STARTED.
THE MEETING IS NOW RESCHEDULED FOR FRIDAY….
COUNCILLORS WILL VOTE ON A HANDFUL OF PERMITS THAT ARE THE FINAL – AND NECESSARY STEP IN ORDER FOR CONSTRUCTION ON THE DATA CENTER TO BEGIN...
THE CITY HAS RESTRICTED THE AUDIENCE TO 85-PEOPLE ON FRIDAY AFTER HUNDREDS OF CITIZENS CAME TO MONDAY'S MEETING... WANTING TO TESTIFY.
OUR NEWSGATHERING PARTNER … DULUTH MONITOR PUBLISHER JOHN RAMOS …WAS THERE…AND HAS BEEN FOLLOWING THE STORY FOR MONTHS.
[JOHN RAMOS WITH DULUTH MONITOR: WELL, THERE WAS STILL SEVERAL DOZEN PEOPLE IN LINE WAITING TO SIGN UP TO SPEAK. AND AT THAT POINT THEY STARTED CHANTING, LET US SPEAK. AND IT JUST KEPT GOING. IT GOT LOUDER, MORE PEOPLE JOINED IN. AFTER OVER 2 HOURS, THE POLICE CHIEF DECLARED AN UNLAWFUL ASSEMBLY.]
--THE CITY COUNCIL HASN'T APPROVED THE REQUIRED DOCUMENTS. THIS IS WHERE IT WOULD HAVE TIPPED OVER INTO CONSTRUCTION. THIS WAS THE KEY MEETING.]--
THE CITY HAS NOW SET THE MEETING FOR SIX-THIRTY FRIDAY EVENING... THE CITY SAYS IT IS GOING TO OFFER A LIVESTREAMING OPTION.
--ANNUAL FALL BACK AND CHANGE SMOKE/CARBON MONOXIDE DETECTOR BATTERIES--
AND FINALLY …
[CLOCK TICKING]
TIME TO FALL BACK THIS WEEKEND … WITH AN EXTRA HOUR OF LIGHT … AND … ONE QUICK SAFETY CHECK.
DAYLIGHT SAVING TIME ENDS EARLY SUNDAY … NOVEMBER FIRST.
AT TWO A-M … CLOCKS MOVE BACK ONE HOUR.
MORE IMPORTANTLY… MAKE SURE TO TEST AND CHANGE BATTERIES IN SMOKE AND CARBON MONOXIDE ALARMS. SEALED TEN-YEAR BATTERIES SHOULD STAY IN PLACE.
CARBON MONOXIDE IS OFTEN CALLED THE SILENT KILLER … BECAUSE YOU CAN’T SEE IT OR SMELL IT … A WORKING CARBON MONOXIDE ALARM CAN BE A LIFESAVER.
FOR NORTH STAR STORIES, I’M XAN HOLSTON.