>> Eric: WE'RE GOING TO CONTINUE TONIGHT'S ELECTION THEME WITH OUR NEXT GUEST.

EARLY VOTING BEGAN TWO WEEKS AGO TODAY HERE IN MINNESOTA.

THAT'S JUST ONE OF THE THINGS WE'LL GET AN UPDATE ON FROM SECRETARY OF STATE STEVE SIMON.

WELCOME BACK.

ATTORNEY GENERAL ELLISON IS OUT TODAY WITH VOTING SAFETY PAGE ON HIS WEBSITE.

AND I WONDERED IF YOU'RE IN THE POSITION TO ADVOCATE INCREASED LAW ENFORCEMENT OR NATIONAL GUARD ON ALERT, OR ANY OF THAT STUFF BASED ON U.S. HIS WARNINGS HERE?

>> YEAH, WELL, WE WORK PRETTY HAND IN GLOVE ON THIS LECTION STUFF.

I WOULD SAY THIS, WHEN T COMES TO PUBLIC SAFETY WE HAVE REALLY GOOD LAWS IN MINNESOTA, PARTICULARLY WHEN IT COMES TO POLLING PLACE SAFETY, WE WANT IT TO BE SORT OF A TRANQUIL OASIS, THAT'S THE GOAL.

BUT WE'RE READY AND MORE IMPORTANTLY OUR LOCAL PARTNERS, OUR TEAMMATES ARE READY THE NEED ARISES, IF SOMEONE'S DISRUPTIVE THEY HAVE THE AUTHORITY TO CALL IN LAW ENFORCEMENT.

>> Cathy: LET'S TALK ABOUT EARLY VOTING.

WHAT HAVE YOU SEEN SO FAR?

IS IT RUNNING AHEAD OF OTHER YEARS?

BEHIND?

>> HERE'S WHAT'S INTERESTING.

SO AS OF LAST NIGHT WE HAVE 107,000 BALLOTS, 107, ALL RIGHT IN.

THAT IS MORE THAN DOUBLE WHAT IT WAS IN 2016.

NOT AS MUCH AS 2020, AND 2020 IS A WEIRD OUTLIER BECAUSE THAT WAS COVID, AND EVERY -- JUST SKY HIGH, LIKE IT WAS ON ROCKET FUEL, THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE WHO WANTED TO VOTE ABSENTEE FOR OBVIOUS REASONS DURING COVID.

SO MAYBE THE BEST COMPARISON IS 2016, I KNOW THAT'S EIGHT YEARS AGO BUT JUST ABOUT DOUBLE WHAT IT WAS THEN.

>> Eric: WITH THE NEW AUTOMATIC OF VOTER REGISTRATION PEOPLE ARE CONCERNED THAT SOME NONCITIZENS MAY BE VOTING.

>> RIGHT.

>> Eric: CAN YOU REASSURE US ON THAT SOME >> I CAN REASSURE YOU ON THAT.

THE LAW IS REALLY CLEAR, CRYSTAL CLEAR.

THE ONLY RECORDS THAT ARE FORWARDED TO OUR OFFICE OR SHOULD BE ARE THE ONES WHERE PEOPLE HAVE SHOWN PROOF OF CITIZENSHIP.

YOU HAVE TO SHOW A PASSPORT, YOU HAVE TO SHOW NATURALIZATION PAPERS OR BIRTH CERTIFICATE.

IT IS TRUE THAT EARLIER THIS SUMMER THERE WERE A COUPLE OF GLITCHES WHERE THAT WAS NOT DONE BUT WE CAUGHT THEM, THAT'S THE GOOD NEWS AND WE ASKED AND THEY AGREED AT THE DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY, THEY'RE THE ONES WHO RUN DRIVER'S LICENSE, THAT ETHER GOING TO ADD, THEY ALREADY HAVE, SOME NEW SECURITY PRECAUTIONS AND PROCEDURES AND I FEEL GOOD ABOUT THAT.

>> Eric: DO YOU KNOW WHERE GEOGRAPHICALLY HE AUTOMATIC VOTER REGISTRATION IS TAKING BLAISE OR IS THAT DATA NOT AVAILABLE YET?

>> OH, IN TERMS OF AROUND THE STATE?

>> Eric: YEAH, GEOGRAPHICALLY.

>> I THINK WE COULD LOOK AT THAT, I HAVE NOT SEEN ANY SORT OF SPREAD BUT AS THE WEEKS GO ON THERE'S NO REASON WE COULDN'T LOOK AT THAT.

>> Cathy: HOW DID YOU FIND THAT WAS AN ISSUE?

JUST CURIOUS.

>> WELL, A COUPLE PEOPLE TOLD US THERE WAS.

WE WERE ABILITIED I BELIEVE INITIALLY BY SOMEONE THIS SUMMER WHO SAID HEY, I THINK IT WAS A SELF-REPORT, SOMEONE WHO SAID I SHOULDN'T HAVE RECEIVED THIS BALLOT, WE LOOKED INTO IT, TALKED TO THE DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY AND FIGURED OUT A WAY TO GET BEYOND IT AND FIX IT, FIRST OF ALL, TO MAKE SURE WITH GOOD MEASURES IN PLACE IT DOESN'T HAPPEN AGAIN AND WE FEEL GOOD ABOUT IT.

>> Eric: BALLOT MISERABLING AROUND THE STATE.

>> YES.

>> Eric: AND THAT REALLY ISN'T UNDER YOUR PURVIEW, IS IT OR IS IT?

>> NO, IT'S NOT BUT WE'RE ALL A TEAM HERE AND OUR TEAMMATES AT THE LOCAL AND COUNTY LEVEL ARE OUTSTANDING.

INCLUDING ESPECIALLY THE ONES WHO MADE A COUPLE OF MISPRINT ERRORS.

JUST TO PUT THIS IN PERSPECTIVE, WE HAVE THOUSANDS, I MEAN THOUSANDS OF SEPARATE BALLOT COMBINATIONS, BALLOT STYLES, FORMATS ACROSS MINNESOTA, EACH NE F THOSE HAS 20 OR 30 CONTESTS SO IN THE GRAND SCHEME OF THINGS THIS IS REALLY A MICROSCOPIC LEVEL OF INACCURACY.

VERY SMALL, A COUPLE OF COUNTIES MADE MISTAKES WITH MISPRINTS BUT THE GOOD NEWS IS WE FIXED IT AND FIGURED OUT A BY TO FIX IT GOING FORWARD.

WE WENT TO COURT, GOT IT FIXED, EVERYONE WHO VOTED WITH A MISPRINTED BALLOT GOT CONTACTED AND AN OPPORTUNITY TO DO-OVER.

>> Cathy: GIVEN -- HEIGHTENED AWARENESS, THESE ARE KIND OF DINGS, THOUGH, SOME PEOPLE LOOK AT THIS AND SAY, WELL, IS THERE ANY OTHER PROBLEMS THAT MIGHT BE OUT THERE?

HOW DO YOU TAMP THAT DOWN?

>> NO, I UNDERSTAND THAT.

I'LL AID IT FROM THE BEGINNING STARTING TWO MONTHS AGO MY TWO BIG WISHES FOR THE ELECTION IF I COULD WAVE A MAGIC WAND, HIGH TURNOUT AND LOW DRAMA.

WHEN IT COMES TO LOW DRAMA, I CAN PUT THIS STUFF IN PERSPECTIVE, NOT TO DENY OR CONCEAL THESE MISTAKES WHEN THEY HAPPEN, BASICALLY SAY, LOOK, FOLKS, LET'S PUT THIS IN PERSPECTIVE.

MINNESOTA HAS A STELLAR RECORD GOING BACK DECADES, THERE'S EVERY REASON TO EXPECT THIS CYCLE QING THINGS ARE GOING TO BE REALLY GOOD AGAIN.

>> Cathy: SAY, VOTER REGISTRATIONS A LOT OOZE BEEN SAID ABOUT TAYLOR SWIFT, EFFECT AND ALL OF THAT.

HAVE YOU NOTICED ANUP STICK IN VOTER REGISTRATION AND DO WE KNOW WHO THOSE PEOPLE ARE THAT ARE SIGNING UP AT ALL?

>> WE DEFINITELY DID.

WE'VE BEEN ASKED A NUMBER OF TIMES WHETHER AFTER TAYLOR SWIFT'S STATEMENT APART FROM STATING A PREFERENCE IN THE PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION SHE SAID HEY, REGISTER, REGISTER, REGISTER, AND WE DID NOTICE A SUBSTANTIAL INCREASE IN THE WEEK OR TEN DAYS FOLLOWING IN TERMS OF VOTER REGISTRATIONS IN MINNESOTA.

PROBABLY TRACEABLE TO THAT, WE CAN'T PROVE THAT.

WHERE THEY'RE COMING ROM, WHAT AGES WE DON'T KNOW THAT YET.

>> Eric: IF YOU ROUND UP I THINK THE TURNOUT WAS 80% LAST TIME?

>> THAT'S RIGHT.

>> Eric: HOW MUCH MORE BLOOD IS HERE IN THE TURNIP?

>> THAT WAS PRETTY SKY-HIGH.

I'M GOING TO ARTFULLY DODGE GIVING YOU AN EXACT NUMBER BUT WE'LL BE IN THE 70S, WHAT WE'RE GUNNING FOR AS ALWAYS IS TO BE NUMBER ONE IN AMERICA JUST LIKE NATURE INTENDED.

AND WE HOPE TO BE BACK ON THAT METAL STAND WITH A GOLD MEDAL THIS TIME.

>> Eric: