state + local

Maybe they should start by addressing the question, " why do we hold elections in the first place"?

Whatever happened to financial and budget issues? I thought that was going to be the order of business this term? Get a budget passed!

This should be a non issue for republicans. Early voting only allows people more flexibility to express their constitutional right to vote. I still haven't seen any evidence that in person voter fraud has been a problem. Maybe that is why voter ID didn't pass.

One issue with early voting is that if someone (Paul Wellstone) dies 12 days before the election, all votes cast for him in early Once you vote, you can't re-vote.

Those who wish to limit voting by minority groups, the poor, and the disabled, such as Dan McGrath, executive director of Minnesota Majority, provide no evidence that would indicate any damage or harm to democracy by allowing early voting or absentee ballots. There is no such evidence.

anything that will make it easier to vote/

Really, Baird? That's what you took away from the hearing? I'd advise your readers to get their own perspective by watching the Senate video for themselves. http://www.senate.leg.state.mn.us/media/index.php?ls=&sid=744 And, bej1bej1, you might want to see here: http://www.electionintegritywatch.com/be-informed/news-stories/ and here: http://www.minnesotamajority.org/the-case-for-elections-investigation-and-reform/ and finally, if you don't believe our research or hundreds of mainstream news agencies, you can check ONE Minnesota county here: http://extra.twincities.com/car/jail/ Select "other" on the "offense category" drop-down. Select "election and campaign regulation" under the "sub-category" drop-down. Press "search." Make sure to press "next 25" a bunch of times, because there are a lot of entries. Almost all of them are because of research Minnesota Majority conducted and referred to the county attorney. Remember - this is just one county out of 87.

The state found 25,000 duplicate drivers licenses through photo analysis last summer which can be used for fraud (credit, welfare, etc). Until we tighten up and modernize our identification and voting process we shouldn't make anymore changes. The "voter suppression" argument is a bunch of baloney by DFL extremists. It is 2013 not 1776 for crying out loud!!

I don't want voting to be easy. It should be hard and it should be difficult to cheat...voting multiple times would cheating and that is the ONLY thing I see happening with the opening of so called early voting in Minnesota. Election day is ONE day, if you are out of town on that day, you have the option of absentee voting.

Wisconsin does early in person voting at a city, village, or town clerk's offices only. As a republican, it is something I am unsure why the party does not support it. When living there, we knew many republicans and democrats who used it or voted absentee without a reason (should be law MN as well). It also reduces lines at the polls. If paired with elimination of in person vouching, this should be passed. The republican party should fight to improve the process in which voters identify themselves at the polls, not block early voting.