>> CATHY: TODAY MARKED THE START OF ABSENTEE VOTING IN MINNESOTA.

KAOMI LEE WENT TO OLMSTED COUNTY TO FIND OUT HOW OFFICIALS THERE ARE PREPARING FOR THIS YEAR’S ELECTION.

>> SO THIS IS THE MATERIAL THAT WE'VE PREPPED SO FAR.

THE -- ALL THE MATERIAL IN THE BASKETS IS APPROXIMATELY 7,000.

SO THIS, WE EXPECT ALL OF THIS TO GO OUT.

>> Kaomi: LUKE TURNER OVERSEES ELECTIONS FOR OLMSTED COUNTY.

THAT'S ABOUT 6% OF THE COUNTY'S REGISTERED VOTERS AND LESS THAN HALF OF THE TOTAL ESTIMATE FOR ABSENTEE BALLOTS.

>> IT'S SURPRISING.

WE HAVE NOT RECEIVED A LOT OF ABSENTEE BALLOT REQUESTS FROM CAMPAIGNS.

IT'S JUST NOT -- THE MARKETING THAT WE EXPECTED TO HAPPEN FROM CANDIDATES AND CAMPAIGNS IS NOT WHAT WE'RE SEEING HERE IN THE OFFICE QUITE YET.

WHICH IS VERY SURPRISING.

>> Kaomi: OLMSTED COUNTY IS BUSY PREPPING FOR THE ELECTION.

THIS YEAR, ABSENTEE VOTING, BY MAIL OR ON SITE, STARTS SEPTEMBER 20TH.

AND THE CLOCK IS TICKING TO BE ABLE TO FIND ENOUGH POLL WORKERS.

>> ONE OF THE MAIN CONCERNS IS STAFFING.

SO WE ONLY HAVE FOUR FULL-TIME ELECTIONS STAFF.

HOWEVER, IN EVEN YEARS, THAT RAMPS UP TO 30 TO 40 DEPENDING ON HOW BUSY WE ANTICIPATE.

SO THERE'S A LOT OF RECRUITING, A LOT OF INTERVIEWING, A LOT OF HIRING.

>> Kaomi: ELECTION ORKERS SHORT SHORTAGES ARE BEING REPORTED AROUND THE STATE.

TURNER SAYS THEIR WORK IS NOW GOING BEYOND JUST RUNNING ELECTIONS.

>> EVER SINCE 2020, INFORMING THE PUBLIC AND REALLY PRESENTING WHAT WE DO HAS BECOME A LARGER AND LARGER PORTION OF OUR WORK LOAD.

>> VOTING MACHINES USED IN OLMSTED COUNTY DO NOT HAVE DIRECT INTERNET ACCESS.

>> Kaomi: VIDEOS LIKE THIS ONE ON THE SECURITY OF THE VOTING PROCESS IS ONE OF THE NEW WAYS THE COUNTY IS DOING OUTREACH.

THE NONPARTISAN LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS SAYS A TAX ON OUR ELECTIONS HAVE BEEN STEADY ON THE RISE.

>> WHAT IS UNPRECEDENTED IS INFORMATION, WHERE WE GET IT, HOW WE GET IT, AND ALL THE SOURCES THAT ARE GOOD AND ALL THE SOURCES THAT AREN'T SO GOOD.

SO I THINK THAT'S THE BIGGEST KIND OF STRUGGLE WE FACE IN VOTING IS HOW O GET GOOD INFORMATION TO, YOU KNOW, PUSH OUT THE MIS AND DISINFORMATION.

>> Kaomi: WITTE SAYS GROUPS HAVE PROLIFERATED SINCE THE LAST PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION.

THE GROUPS HAVE FLOODED SOME COUNTIES WITH FLYERS, GOVERNMENT DATA REQUESTS AND EVEN LAWSUITS.

>> WHAT'S HAPPENED IS GROUPS TRY TO PLAY ON PEOPLE'S FEARS, RIGHT?

AND THEY'RE ACTUALLY TWO DIFFERENT GROUPS.

SO THERE'S THE GROUP OF PEOPLE WHO ARE WEARY OF THE TABULATORS, YOU KNOW, THAT OUR TABULATORS ARE COMPUTERS AND COMPUTERS CAN BE HACKED AND YOUR INFORMATION'S BEING HACKED.

BUT THAT CAN'T HAPPEN.

OUR TABULATORS ARE NOT CONNECTED TO THE INTERNET UNTIL THE VERY LAST NIGHT, ACTUALLY AFTER ALL THE ELECTION RESULTS HAVE BEEN GATHERED FROM THAT ELECTION DAY.

>> Kaomi: SECRETARY OF STATE SESTEVE SIMON SAYS RUSSIAN HACKERS TRIED TO INTERFERE WITH THE STATE ELECTION IN 2020.

THIS PAST JULY, MINNESOTA AND EIGHT OTHER STATES TOOK ON SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORM "X" TO CORRECT MISINFORMATION IT SPREAD ABOUT STATE ELECTION LAW.

>> WE HAVE TO SPEAK UP ABOUT THIS STUFF WHEN WE SEE IT, WHEN WE SEE MIS AND DISINFORMATION, EVEN IF IT'S A COMPANY AS BIG AS "X" WITH A GLOBAL REACH AND A VERY FAMOUS OWNER, IT'S IMPORTANT FOR US TO REACH OUT, SAY WHAT WE BELIEVE IS WRONG, SUGGEST CONSTRUCTIVE SOLUTIONS AND WE DID THAT, A NUMBER OF US AS SECRETARIES OF STATE, AND WE GOT THE OUTCOME WE WANTED.

BUT WE GOT TO KEEP DOING THAT.

>> Kaomi: THE LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS SAYING ATTENDING IN-PERSON CANDIDATE FUHRMANS CAN HELP CUT OUT THE NOISE.

IN ROCHESTER, IT'S HOSTING TEN FUHRMANS THIS MONTH FOR STATE SHOWS, CITY, AND CHOOL BOARD RACES.

MARFUL JONES IS A DEMOCRAT AND AN ELECTION JUDGE IN ROCHESTER TOWNSHIP.

>> HOW I FEEL ABOUT THE MISINFORMATION IS, YEAH, I THINK THERE'S MORE OF IT.

THAN THERE WAS, SAY, 15 YEARS AGO.

BUT I DO FEEL THAT IT'S THE RESPONSIBILITY OF EACH OF US TO LOOK UP, DO FACT CHECKING.

>> Kaomi: AT ROCHESTER COMMUNITY AND TECHNICAL COLLEGE, OLMSTED COUNTY ELECTION WORKERS TALK TO STUDENTS ABOUT VOTING.

20-YEAR-OLD MOHAMED SALI BECAME A CITIZEN THIS YEAR.

HE'S XIETED ABOUT BEING ABLE TO VOTE BUT SEES A LOT OF INACCURATE INFORMATION ONLINE.

>> TIKTOK AND FACEBOOK, DEFINITELY FACEBOOK, THAT'S NUMBER ONE PLACE WHERE MISINFORMATION COMES FROM.

TRUMP IN THE DEBATE SAID THAT HAITIANS WERE EATING DOGS AND CATS, AND THAT WAS DEBUNKED CONSPIRACY THEORY THAT CAME OUT OF FACEBOOK AND NOW IT'S SPREAD ALL OVER AND NOW PEOPLE ACTUAL