Rochester Police investigating two local election judges

ROCHESTER, Minn. (KTTC) – Rochester Police Department is investigating two local election judges who worked in the August primary. Sources say the election judges may have been trained by election deniers.

The two election judges under investigation are part of a group called Olmsted County Election Integrity.

The group is made up of people who deny the legitimacy of the 2020 elections and are pushing to recruit poll workers who share their beliefs. There are groups like this all over the country.

Because this is an open investigation, details of who these people have not been released. The city of Rochester has not scheduled either of these poll workers for Election Day.

The city works with Olmsted County Elections and the Minnesota Secretary of State to put on elections.

According to state statutes, Minnesota election judges are required to be 18 years old or older, but student election judges can be 16 and 17. Election judges also need to speak English and be resident of Minnesota.

City election officials says one of the biggest challenges is finding a party balance between election judges at each of the polling places.

State law requires for polling places to have a roughly the same number of Democrats and Republicans working there.

“The polls are secure. Election Day will be as it always has been in the past. It will be a smooth process. The city of Rochester is monitoring any situations that might arise. We have not received anything that we feel will cause Election Day to be outside of the ordinary or different to how it’s been in the past,” Rochester license & election manager Christiaan Cartwright said.

Another challenge city election officials face during election season is making sure there are enough election judges at each poll.

Although Election Day is still a few days away, you can vote early Saturday and Monday at the Government Center and the Olmsted County Election Offices.

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