A preliminary investigation into the disappearance of 21 ballots in the razor-thin Minnesota House District 54A race has revealed that the ballots were likely thrown away while still in their secrecy envelopes.
The race, which covers Shakopee and parts of Scott County, was decided by a mere 14 votes, which cost Republicans a majority in Minnesota’s State House.
The City of Shakopee conducted early voting from September 20 through November 4, 2024. During this period, two voting methods were utilized:
- Envelope Voting: Voters submitted their ballots in security and signature envelopes.
- Direct Ballot Voting: From October 18 onwards, voters could scan their ballots directly.
On election night, discrepancies in the absentee ballot count became apparent. By November 7, Scott County staff identified a 21-ballot discrepancy across two precincts, with P10 showing the most significant issue: 329 voters were checked in, but only 309 ballots were reported and processed.
The missing ballots were identified during a Nov. 7 audit when county staff uncovered 20 ballot records linked to Precinct 10 and one to Precinct 12A.
While it’s not unusual for a voter to check in but not cast a ballot, the discrepancy in Precinct 12A was deemed insignificant and not investigated further. The focus of the report centered on the irregularities in Precinct 10, according to Fox 9.
The Scott County Attorney’s Office issued a statement this week outlining the findings of their investigation.
County Attorney Ron Hocevar admitted that “human error” during early absentee ballot processing in Shakopee likely caused the ballots to be discarded.
“The preliminary investigation into the 21-ballot discrepancy hasn’t been determinative thus far, and it appears likely to be the result of human error that occurred during the collection of early absentee ballots at the City of Shakopee. This unfortunate situation resulted in a level of confusion that should not have occurred,” said County Attorney Ron Hocevar.
“In the interest of full transparency, we have included a link to the information provided to the attorneys for both candidates this morning. It’s important to note that the investigation is ongoing and we hope that more information will be forthcoming.”
Despite efforts to recover the envelopes from recycling and landfill facilities, the materials might have been already destroyed.
“A request was made to the City for their secrecy envelopes, and the County was advised they had been thrown into the garbage. The County tracked the trash and recycling to a landfill in Burnsville and DemCon respectively, but learned that the recycle bale had already been sent for shredding,” according to the preliminary report.
Key Findings from the Investigation:
- That 20 absentee ballots in P10 were properly accepted for counting on October 17 and should have been counted;
- That these ballots are the ballots that were not counted;
- That the ballots were most likely were never removed from their secrecy envelopes;
- That the ballots were likely in their secrecy envelopes when the secrecy envelopes were thrown away;
- That the ballots most likely will not be recovered; and
- That even if 20 ballots were found, it is unlikely that their chain of custody can be proven to assure they have not been tampered with.
The revelation has prompted House Republicans to take decisive action.
WATCH:
BREAKING: 21 missing ballots “were likely DISPOSED” in Scott County, Minnesota.
Rep. Tabke (D) won here by just .
This race cost Republicans a majority in Minnesota’s State House. pic.twitter.com/DnOqol17LW
— End Wokeness (@EndWokeness) November 27, 2024
“Today’s news confirms why we will be seeking an election contest to protect the integrity of the vote in District 54A with a new election,” House Republican Speaker-designate Lisa Demuth (R-Cold Spring) said.
“With 20 ballots missing and confirmation from Scott County that they will likely not be recovered, it’s impossible to declare a winner with a 14-vote margin. We appreciate the efforts by Scott County to investigate this matter and be transparent about their findings.”
Read the report below via Fox 9:
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