Minnesota secretary of state race pits election security against voter access
Incumbent Steve Simon and challenger Tad Jude debated specific policy changes, including same-day registration and the state flag, on Friday.
By James Anderson ·
Two leading candidates for Minnesota secretary of state debated policy differences on Friday at a Minnesota Public Radio studio in St. Paul. The contest is between Democrat-Farmer-Labor incumbent Steve Simon, who is running for a fourth term, and Republican challenger Tad Jude, a former legislator from St. Cloud. They discussed how to manage the state's election systems and state symbols ahead of the Nov. 3 election.
Jude argued that the state's same-day registration process creates vulnerabilities in election security. He proposed that voters who register on Election Day should cast provisional ballots instead of voting immediately. Jude stated that an illegal vote is a stolen vote. He also said he wants to clean up voter rolls with local, state, and federal agencies to ensure only U.S. citizens are eligible to vote.
Simon countered that the current system works effectively. He cited an MIT study that ranked Minnesota first on the Elections Performance Index. That study reported a 90.6% voter registration rate and an average wait time of 6.7 minutes. Simon referenced a University of St. Thomas analysis of 13.4 million votes cast between 2015 and 2024. That research found that only three votes were declared illegal by courts. Simon said he does not want to make voting an obstacle course.
The candidates also addressed the state's new flag, which was adopted in 2024. Jude said voters did not get a direct say in the design. Simon, who served on the committee that oversaw the redesign, said thousands of people weighed in on multiple proposals. He noted that a statewide vote on the symbol would require a constitutional change. Simon added that his office also approved the state's new seal, which he said has been broadly popular.
The debate included questions about the U.S. Justice Department's lawsuit regarding Alaska's Senate election. Jude called ranked-choice voting a way to play games with coalitions on the ballot. Simon described the federal suit as a chilling overstep and a banana republic move. He said it is troubling for the Justice Department to suggest throwing out an election if its preferred candidate does not win.
Simon has held the office since 2015, making him the longest-tenured of Minnesota's five elected constitutional officers. Jude was the youngest person elected to the Minnesota Legislature when he won his seat in 1972 at age 21. Two other candidates, Libertarian Chip Tangen and Green Party candidate Seth Kuhl-Stennes, did not participate in the Friday debate. Polls typically open at 7 a.m. and close at 8 p.m. on Election Day.
The office oversees the statewide voter registration database and administers elections through county offices. It also manages the selection of state symbols. Last year, the state adopted Ursa Minor as its constellation and the giant beaver as its fossil. Simon mentioned suggestions for an official state soup, listing chicken wild rice, chicken noodle, and pho as top choices. Jude said he did not have a specific suggestion for a new symbol.
