Minnesota Minneapolis Early-Voting Staffing Challenge

An anti-voting lawsuit seeking to require Minneapolis to staff early-voting sites with bipartisan election judges ahead of the 2026 election.

Background

The Minnesota Voters Alliance (MVA) and a Minneapolis resident who has served as an election judge in the past filed a petition with the Minnesota Supreme Court seeking an order requiring the City of Minneapolis to appoint bipartisan election judges at early-voting locations during the 2026 election cycle. Election judges are temporary, paid employees trained to handle all aspects of voting at a polling place. The petition argues that Minnesota law requires election judges to be present at early voting sites because certain election-related duties can only be performed by election judges. According to the petition, Minneapolis assigned no election judges to its early-voting sites during the 2024 general election and is preparing to conduct early voting in 2026 in the same manner. The plaintiffs argue that conducting early voting without election judges violates Minnesota election law and risks having legally required functions performed by unauthorized officials or not performed at all. They are asking the court to order Minneapolis to staff each early-voting location with at least two election judges from both political parties throughout the 2026 early-voting period.

Why This Matters

The Minnesota Voters Alliance is a right-wing legal group that has played a prominent role in efforts to restrict voting access in Minnesota. In 2023, the group filed a lawsuit challenging a state law that restored voting rights to individuals with felony convictions who are no longer incarcerated. The claims in this lawsuit are often used as fuel to undermine confidence in elections. 

Latest Updates

• Aug. 14, 2026: The Minnesota Supreme Court ruled in favor of MVA, ordering election judges to be present at polling locations for early voting to “resolve challenges to a voter’s status and to administer the vouching process for voter registration.”
• Aug. 4, 2026: The Minnesota Supreme Court heard arguments on MVA’s petition.
• July 20, 2026: MVA filed its reply brief.
• July 13, 2026: The City of Minneapolis and the Secretary of State filed their response briefs.
• June 26, 2026: MVA filed its opening brief.
• June 11, 2026: MVA filed its petition.