Voter ID Complaint Targets Minn. Election Official

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — Minnesota's top election official is the target of a complaint from Republican senators who accuse him of misleading voters on a proposed voter identification requirement.

Sens. Mike Parry of Waseca and Scott Newman of Hutchinson filed the complaint Thursday with the Office of Administrative Hearings.

It alleges that Secretary of State Mark Ritchie broke state campaign laws by claiming on his official website and in local newspaper interviews that the voter ID constitutional amendment could cost $50 million to implement, end same-day voter registration and disenfranchise military voters. It also accuses the Democratic secretary of state of using state resources to work against the amendment.

Ritchie says in a statement that he won't comment on ligitation, but is referring voters to the website cited in the complaint.

Newman says state money won't be used to pay for the complaint, but legislative staff distributed a news release about it on official stationery from Parry's office.

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