>> CATHY: AS WE'VE ALREADY TALKED ABOUT EARLIER IN THE SHOW, ELECTION INTEGRITY IS TOP OF MIND FOR MANY VOTERS HEADING INTO NEXT WEEK'S ELECTIONS.

AND WHILE MANY ARE ASKING QUESTIONS ABOUT THE SECURITY OF THE STATE'S VOTER SYSTEMS, THIS WEEK THE HENNEPIN COUNTY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE BROUGHT CHARGES AGAINST TWO MEN WHO TOOK THOSE QUESTIONS A STEP FURTHER.

HENNEPIN COUNTY ATTORNEY MARY MORIARTY JOINS US NOW TO EXPLAIN THAT CASE AND MORE GOOD TO HAVE YOU HERE.

WALK US THROUGH THIS.

WHAT HAPPENED FOR FOLKS WHO ARE NOT FAMILIAR WITH IT?

>> SO TWO MEN APPROACHED A POLLING PLACE AND WENT INSIDE AND APPROACHED THE ELECTION JUDGE.

>> Cathy: IT WAS DURING THE PRIMARY.

>> IT WAS, ON AUGUST 11th.

AND THEY STARTED THE APPLICATION PROCESS.

IT'S IMPORTANT TO REMEMBER THAT THERE ARE DIFFERENT PARTS OF THE STATUTE, APPLYING FOR A BALLOT IS DIFFERENT THAN DEPOSITING A BALLOT.

SO, THEY WERE PARTICIPATING IN APPLYING FOR A BALLOT.

AND INSTEAD OF GIVING THEIR OWN NAMES, THEY GAVE THE NAMES OF ACTUAL VOTERS.

SO THEY MISREPRESENTED THEIR IDENTITY.

SO WE HAVE CHARGED THEM WITH IDENTITY THEFT.

>> Cathy: THESE TWO INDIVIDUALS, POLITICAL ACTIVISTS, WERE ALSO TALKING -- THEY WERE ALSO TRYING TO SHINE A SPOTLIGHT ON VOUCHING, IS THAT CORRECT?

>> YES.

WELL, SO, WHAT'S IMPORTANT, ACTUALLY, THEY PUT OUT A VIDEO AFTERWARDS, AND THEY'RE TRYING TO IMPLY THAT THERE'S SOMETHING WRONG WITH THE VOTING -- OR THE VOUCHING PROCESS, WHICH WE HAVE HAD FOR OVER 50 YEARS.

AND TO GIVE SOME CONTEXT N THE 2024 ELECTION, .6% OF THE BALLOTS THAT WERE CAST WERE DONE UNDER THE VOUCHING PROCESS, AND IT'S TYPICALLY PEOPLE WHO ARE RETIRED, DOWNSIZE, MOVE INTO AN APARTMENT, CONDO, THEY JUST HAVEN'T CHANGED THEIR LICENSE, MAYBE THEY'RE NOT DRIVING ANYMORE.

SO THEY CAN HAVE A REGISTERED VOTER IN THAT WARD COME WITH THEM AND SIGN AN OATH THAT THIS PERSON IS ALSO A VOTER AND LIVES THERE.

SO THESE PEOPLE CAME IN AND THEY WERE TRYING TO SHINE LIGHT ON PROBLEMS WITH THE VOUCHING PROCESS, BUT WHAT THEY ACTUALLY SHOWED WAS THAT IT WORKS BECAUSE WHEN THEY GOT TO THE POINT WHERE THEY WERE ASKED TO SIGN THE OATH, THEY MADE UP EXCUSES FOR WHY THEY HAD TO LEAVE.

THE KEY THING HERE IS IF YOU SIGN THE OATH AND YOU ARE LYING OR MISREPRESENTING, IT IS PERJURY AND T'S A FELONY.

SO THAT IS A DETERRENT FOR ANYONE TO COME IN AND SIGN THAT OATH TO VOUCH FOR SOMEONE ELSE.

>> Cathy: THESE TWO, THOUGH, CLAIM THAT THIS WAS OKAY BECAUSE IT'S FREEDOM OF SPEECH, THEY CLAIM THEY'RE MEDIA.

>> YES.

>> Cathy: YOU'RE NOT BUYING THAT.

>> WELL, IT DOESN'T REALLY MATTER HOWEVER YOU DEFINE MEDIA OR NOT.

JOURNALISTS ARE WELCOME AT THE POLLING PLACE, ALL THEY HAVE TO DO IS COME UP TO THE ELECTION JUDGE AND SHOW A PHOTO ID AND SOME MEDIA CREDENTIALS AND THEY'RE WELCOME TO BE THERE.

AND THEY HAVE TO BE AT LEAST SIX FEET AWAY FROM VOTERS AND THEY CANNOT ALK TO VOTERS.

THE IDEA OF VOTING IN THE POLLING PLACES, THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO BE CALM PLACES FOR PEOPLE TO GO, REFLECT, CAST THEIR BALLOT, TO NOT BE INTERFERED ITH.

SO MEDIA IS ABSOLUTELY WELCOME IN OUR POLLING PLACES, THEY SIMPLY HAVE TO FOLLOW THE STEPS THAT ARE REQUIRED BY LAW.

>> Cathy: BUT THESE TWO SAY THAT THIS IS A FREE SPEECH ISSUE, NOT A CRIMINAL MATTER.

>> IT'S A CRIMINAL MATTER BECAUSE YOU CANNOT WALK INTO A POLLING PLACE AND MISREPRESENT YOURSELF TO THE PERSON -- AND THEY DID WALK IN AND SAY, I AM O IS ACTUALLY A REGISTERED VOTER, NOT YOU, SOMEBODY WHO IS A REGISTERED VOTER, IN THE PROCESS.

YOU CAN'T DO THAT.

YOU CAN'T MISREPRESENT YOUR IDENTITY IN THE PROCESS OF APPLYING FOR A BALLOT.

SO THERE'S NO QUESTION THAT THEY DIDN'T VOTE.

BUT THOSE ARE TWO EPARATE PROCESSES.

THE PROCESS OF APPLYING FOR A BALLOT AND THE PROCESS OF VOTING.

AND IT IS AGAINST THE LAW TO APPLY FOR A BALLOT AND MISREPRESENT YOUR IDENTITY.

>> Cathy: SO THE SYSTEM WORKED?

>> THE SYSTEM WORKED REALLY WELL.

AND I THINK MINNESOTANS SHOULD BE VERY PROUD OF THAT.

WE HAVE SAFE, FAIR ELECTIONS HERE IN MINNESOTA.

AND WE ANTICIPATE THAT THAT WILL CONTINUE INTO THIS ELECTION.

>> Cathy: SAY, I HAVE TO ASK YOU ABOUT UPDATES WITH THE RENEE GOOD AND ALEX PRETTI CASES.

WHAT ARE THE UPDATES ON THAT?

>> SO, WE DID GET A SUBSTANTIAL AMOUNT OF EVIDENCE FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT DURING THAT WINDOW F EVIDENCE SHARING.

THERE'S SOME THINGS THAT WE DID NOT GET.

AS YOU KNOW, WE ARE IN THE PROCESS OF LITIGATING ALL OF THIS IN WASHINGTON, D.C.

WE EXPECT A DECISION FROM THE JUDGE IN D.C.

SOMETIME NEXT YEAR.

WE EXPECT THAT WILL GO THROUGH THE APPELLATE PROCESS AND TAKE MAYBE UP TO A YEAR OR MORE.

SO I THINK THE IMPORTANT THING IS THAT WE ARE ALWAYS ASSESSING THE EVIDENCE THAT WE ACTUALLY HAVE, AND DECIDING, OKAY, DO WE HAVE ENOUGH EVIDENCE TO GO FORWARD NOW?

AND, SO, WE ARE CONSTANTLY ENGAGING IN THAT PROCESS AND, SO, I WOULDN'T SAY TO PEOPLE, JUST BECAUSE WE MAY NOT HAVE A DECISION, A FINAL DECISION N THE PROCESS FOR OVER A YEAR, THAT THAT MEANS WE CANNOT MAKE A CHARGING DECISION UNTIL AFTER THAT.

WE CONSTANTLY EVALUATE WHERE WE ARE AND WHETHER WE ARE AT A PLACE WHERE WE FEEL THAT WE CAN MAKE A CHARGING DECISION.

>> Cathy: THIS MIGHT BE THE LAST TIME YOU'RE ON "ALMANAC."

>> I HOPE NOT.

>> Cathy: I'M NOT SURE.

BUT YOU'RE LEAVING OFFICE.

>> YES.

>> Cathy: I DON'T KNOW, WHAT DO YOU PLAN ON DOING NEXT, I HAVE TO KNOW.

>> SLEEP FOR A WHILE.

READ BOOKS.

EXERCISE.

ALL OF THOSE HINGS.

I'M VERY INVESTED.

I LIVE IN MINNEAPOLIS.

I'M STAYING IN MINNEAPOLIS.

I'M VERY INVESTED IN THE CITY.

I LOVE THE CITY.

AND, SO, I'M GOING TO STAY INVOLVED IN SOME WAY, SHAPE OR FORM.

>> Cathy: ALL RIGHT.

MARY MORIARTY, THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH FOR BEIN