Hubbard County man pleads guilty to accepting vote of unregistered voter in 2024 election incident

A Nevis, Minnesota, man who served as an election judge for Badoura Township during the 2024 election has pleaded guilty to accepting the vote of an unregistered voter, online court records said.

The 65-year-old man pleaded guilty to the charge in the incident on Monday. One count of neglect of duty on Election Day will be dropped as part of a plea agreement, according to court documents.

An investigator received a copy of an email from Hubbard County Auditor Kay Rave to Attorney Jonathan Frieden on Nov. 7, 2024, two days after the election, the criminal complaint said. The email stated 11 people had registered to vote in Badoura Township, but Rave couldn't find the completed registration forms. 

The man completed basic election judge and head judge training in July 2024, according to court documents. When asked about the forms, he said he couldn't find them for use. Rave later found the forms, but the man said the voting location did not use them. 

A woman, who also served as an election judge in Badoura Township on Election Day, said the man directed her not to use the forms, the complaint said.

Another election judge, according to court documents, said the man's son, also an election judge, was responsible for registration applications. 

A third election judge said the man told them to have new voters sign the back of a book, the complaint says.

The man is scheduled to be sentenced on May 18, court records say.