This database consolidates and tracks litigation concerning the effect of the pandemic on election law. The purpose of this tool is to provide an interactive list of relevant cases that can be searched by issue, court, status, and jurisdiction.
Case Details
NAACP Minn. v. Simon
Closed. Settled and/or Withdrawn (The parties stipulated to the voluntary dismissal of each respective appeal. Appellants waived the right to challenge in any other judicial forum the August 3, 2020 Orders and the August 3, 2020 Stipulations and Partial Consent Decrees that formed the basis for the consolidated appeals under this caption (the two cases that were consolidated are (i) LaRose v. Simon, No. A20-1040 (Minn. S. Ct.) and MN NAAP v. Simon, No. A20-1041(Minn. S. Ct.)).)
NAACP Minn. v. Simon, No. 62-CV-20-3625 (Minn. Dist. Ct., Ramsey Cnty.) |
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| Case Summary | The Complaint challenges two Minnesota voting-by-mail requirements: (1) each absentee ballot be witnessed by a registered Minnesota voter, a notary, or person otherwise authorized to administer oaths (the “Witness Requirement”), Minn. Stat. § 203B.07, and (2) unless a voter is located in a town/county with fewer than 400 registered voters without a physical polling place, a voter must apply for an absentee ballot online, by mail, or by email. Minn. Stat. § 203B.04, Subd. 1. The Complaint allges that both requirements violate the Right to Vote and equal protection guaranteed by Minnesota Constitution Art. I § 2 and Article VII, § 1. Plaintiffs seek to invalidate Minn. Stat.§ 203B.07, subdiv. 3, Minn. Stat. § 204B.45 - .46, and Minn. Admin. R.8210.3000, to prohibit defendant (Minnesota Secretary of State) from enforcing these laws, and to order defendant to mail ballots to all registered voters without the need for registration. | |
| Filed | 06/04/2020 | |
| State | Minnesota | |
| Type of Court | State | |
| Status | Closed. Settled and/or Withdrawn (Partial consent decree was instituted; Defendant shall not enforce witness requirement for the November General Election that each absentee ballot be witnessed by a registered MN voter, a notary, or person otherwise authorized to administer oaths. Defendant will inform relevant local election officials and take reasonable measures to inform voters of these changes for the November General Election.) | |
| Last Updated | 09/01/2020 | |
| Issue Tag(s) | Vote-by-Mail (Witness and/or Notary Requirement, Failure to Mail Ballots w/out Application to All Registered Voters) | |
| Complaint(s) | 06/04/2020: Complaint filed. | |
| Dispositive Ruling(s) | 07/23/2020: Order/Ruling, Partial Consent Decree | |
| 08/18/2020: Order/Ruling, Joint stipulation to dismiss these appeals | ||
NAACP Minnesota v. Simon, No. A20-1041 (Minn. S. Ct.) |
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| Case Summary | Plaintiffs challenged two Minnesota laws: (1) Minnesota’s requirement that each absentee ballot be witnessed by a registered Minnesota voter, a notary, or person otherwise authorized to administer oaths (“Witness Requirement”), Minn. Stat. § 203B.07, and (2) its requirement that absentee ballots be received by either 3:00 p.m. (if hand-delivered) or 8:00 p.m. (if delivered by mail) on Election Day (the “Election Day Receipt Deadline”), id. § 203B.08 subd. 3; Minn. R. 8210.2200 subp. 1. Plaintiffs claim that (1) the Witness Requirement and the Election Day Receipt Deadline requirements violate the Minnesota Constitution Art. I. § 2 and Art. VII, § 1, U.S. Const. Amend. I and XIV, 42 U.S.C. § 1983, and 28 U.S.C. §§ 2201, 2202 for imposing an unconstitutional burden on voting right; (2) the Election Day Receipt Deadline requirement violates Minnesota Constitution Art. I, § 7 for deprivation of liberty interest and due process, and violates and U.S Const. Amend. XIV, 42 U.S.C. § 1983 for denial or procedural due process. Plaintiffs sought a declaratory judgment that the two challenged Minnesota laws are invalid and sought to enjoin the defendant (MN secretary of state) from enforcing those laws. After two settlements and partial consent decrees essentially satisfying Plaintiffs demands for both the primary and general elections, both parties agreed to dismiss their appeals. | |
| Filed | 08/12/2020 | |
| State | Minnesota | |
| Type of Court | State | |
| Status | Closed. Settled and/or Withdrawn (The parties stipulated to the voluntary dismissal of each respective appeal. Appellants waived the right to challenge in any other judicial forum the August 3, 2020 Orders and the August 3, 2020 Stipulations and Partial Consent Decrees that formed the basis for the consolidated appeals under this caption (the two cases that were consolidated are (i) LaRose v. Simon, No. A20-1040 (Minn. S. Ct.) and MN NAAP v. Simon, No. A20-1041(Minn. S. Ct.)).) | |
| Last Updated | 03/13/2021 | |
| Issue Tag(s) | Vote-by-Mail (Witness and/or Notary Requirement, Mail Voting Deadlines (for Applying, Receiving, Postmark)) | |
| Dispositive Ruling(s) | 08/18/2020: Order/Ruling, Stipulation to dismiss appeals. | |
