Voter fraud prosecution of woman, 86, raises questions

by Tom Crann, Minnesota Public Radio,
Rupa Shenoy, Minnesota Public Radio

ST. PAUL, Minn. — Minnesota Secretary of State Mark Ritchie says an elderly woman charged with voter fraud should have been stopped by an election judge before she cast a second ballot.

Margaret Schneider, 86, of St Peter said she forgot that she voted by absentee ballot and cast another ballot at a polling place on Election Day. Minnesota law requires such cases be prosecuted by county attorneys. Schneider said she has Parkinson's disease and dementia.

An interview with All Things Considered host Tom Crann, Ritchie said the election judge who allowed Schneider to vote again cannot be held liable.

"We're in the area of honest mistakes and with 30,000 human beings and 3 million voters, we're going to have human mistakes and human things that happen," Ritchie said.

Broadcast Dates

• All Things Considered, 03/07/2013, 3:50 p.m.
• All Things Considered, 03/07/2013, 5:50 p.m.