Joy Kennelly

Minnesota is prosecuting James O’Keefe and Cam Higby for exposing how easy it is to commit voter fraud in the state. On Wednesday, Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty charged both with felony unlawful voting and identity theft. They entered polling places during the August 11 primary in disguise, used the names of registered voters, and asked questions about the vouching process. They never signed the oath and never cast a ballot. Instead of fixing the system, Minnesota is going after the people who documented it. You don’t have to produce ID in Minnesota to prove citizenship when you register to vote or vote in person. You attest to your name and citizenship. That’s it. The vouching system they tested has been on the books for decades and requires almost nothing in the way of verification. Minnesota’s federal elections should be shut down legally until this is fixed. They’re compromised. O’Keefe and Higby never voted. They showed how little stands in the way of someone who wants to. Charging them for that is the state admitting the system is vulnerable and choosing to punish the exposure instead of the vulnerability. They’re heroes for putting it on video. Minnesota leadership knows the rules are weak. That’s why they’re suing the people who recorded it. The charges just drew more attention to how broken the process is.