REGIONAL-Minnesota election officials are making changes to the state’s automatic voter registration (AVR) system after problematic entries cropped up in a recent review, though no evidence was found of ineligible individuals being registered.
The system, which was launched in April, registers eligible residents automatically when they apply for a state-issued ID, such as a driver’s license. Over 90,000 people have been auto-registered to date, according to a release from the Minnesota Secretary of State’s Office. That includes about 65,000 age-eligible voters and about 25,000 preregistrations of 16- and 17-year-olds.
The system includes an intensive review process by state and local officials to verify registrants’ identities and residences and confirm their eligibility to vote, and roughly one thousand of registrations were flagged for further review due to questions about adequate verification. These registrations have been inactivated pending additional confirmation of names, addresses, and citizenship status, Secretary of State Steve Simon said. Those flagged individuals will be notified and instructed to register online, at their local election office, or in person at their polling place if eligible.
To prevent future problems, the Department of Public Safety’s Driver and Vehicle Services (DVS) division has implemented new verification measures, including a two-tiered manual review process for all files before they are sent for voter registration. The DVS is also increasing staff training to minimize human error in processing documentation. The revised review process could extend the timeframe for processing AVR registrations by up to 12 weeks. However, individuals may still opt to use traditional registration processes instead in order to ensure registration for the November general election.
Public Safety Commissioner Bob Jacobson emphasized that no cases have been identified where an ineligible person was registered to vote.
“Minnesota has a proud tradition of broad voter participation and unquestionably fair and secure elections,” Jacobson said, adding that the recent updates to DVS protocols enhance the integrity of the system.
Election officials expressed confidence that the new measures will prevent any further issues and ensure that the system operates as intended. Simon noted that the state is taking “an abundance of caution” to maintain the accuracy of the voter rolls.
Republicans have raised concerns about the AVR system, questioning whether the screening process ensures only eligible voters are registered. They called on state officials for greater transparency about how flagged voter registrations are being handled ahead of the upcoming election, which is just weeks away. Early voting in the state began last Friday.

MPR News contributed to this report