>> Mary: NEW ELECTION LAWS ARE COMING AND EVERY SINGLE HOUSE MEMBER ON THE BALANCE AND MAYBE EVEN SOME SENATORS AND THIS IS THE PERSON WHO'S GOING TO RUN IT ALL, SECRETARY OF STATE STEVE SIMON IS HERE.

YOU'RE BUSIER FILING NOW BECAUSE SOON AS SESSION IS OVER, THERE'S JUST, LIKE, A BLINK, ISN'T THERE, AND FILING FOR OFFICE, YOU'RE A BUSY PLACE AND YOU'RE IN A NEW LOCATION.

>> WE ARE.

WE'RE IN THE VETERANS SERVICES BUILDING BECAUSE THEY'RE REDOING THE STATE OFFICE BUILDING.

AND SO WE'RE THERE TEMPORARILY.

MEANING LIKE THE NEXT TWO AND AND A HALF OR SO YEARS.

I ALWAYS LOVE THE FIRST DAY OF FILING.

IT'S A CARNIVAL ATMOSPHERE.

SOMETIMES THIS OR THAT POLITICAL GROUP OR PARTY DO AN UNMASKED FILING.

PEOPLE WERE POSING WITH A BEAUTIFUL VIEW OF THE CAPITOL THAT WE HAVE.

>> Mary: AND A EW SEAL.

THAT'S PART OF THE VISUAL.

>> AND FLAG, IT WAS GREAT.

AND SO A TON OF PEOPLE ONLINE.

IT'S LIKE ONE OF THESE GREAT POINTS OF DEMOCRACY.

>> Mary: YOU HAVE A LOT F NEW THINGS TO IMPLEMENT FROM LAST SESSION AND THIS SESSION.

LET'S TALK ABOUT WHAT'S AT THE TOP OF YOUR LIST.

>> I THINK ONE IS RESTORATION OF THE FREEDOM TO VOTE FOR PEOPLE WHO HAVE LEFT PRISON BEHIND.

THAT'S 55,000 PEOPLE NOW WHO HAVE THE RIGHT TO VOTE BACK.

AND SO OUR JOB ALONG WITH MANY OTHERS, IS TO GET THE WORD OUT ABOUT THIS.

WE WANT PEOPLE TO KNOW THAT THIS IS A THING.

>> Mary: DO THEY KNOW?

IS IT HARD TO REACH THIS POPULATION?

>> IT'S HARDER TO REACH.

BUT WE'RE WORKING WITH THE DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS, WITH A TON OF COMMUNITY GROUPS ACROSS THE TATE JUST TO GET THE WORD OUTSIDE.

ANOTHER ONE IS AUTOMATIC VOTER REGISTRATION WHICH WE JUST CERTIFIED FOR USE.

A COUPLE WEEKS AGO.

IT TOOK SOME TIME AND IT MEANS IF YOU GET OR RENEW A DRIVER'S LICENSE IN MINNESOTA AND IF YOU ARE OTHERWISE ELIGIBLE, IF YOU HAVE PROOF OF CITIZENSHIP, IF YOU'RE A RESIDENT, ALL OF THAT, THEN YOU WILL BE DEEMED TO WISH TO REGISTER TO VOTE, YOU CAN ALWAYS OPT OUT, BUT YOU'LL BE ADDING TO THE VOTING LIST.

>> Mary: INTERESTING.

COLLEGE CAMPUSES TOO, THAT WAS THIS SESSION.

>> YEAH, IT WON'T KICK IN UNTIL THE NEXT ELECTION IN 2026, BUT WHAT IT MEANS S UPON REQUEST, COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES CAN GO TO A COUNTY OR CITY AS THE CASE MAY BE AND SAY, HEY, WE'D LIKE A POLLING PLACE ON OUR COLLEGE CAMPUS.

AND THEY HAVE TO DO IT.

>> Mary: DO YOU THINK THAT WOULD INCREASE TURNOUT?

>> IT CAN'T HURT.

SO I AM OMENT MYSTIC IT WILL.

>> Mary: NOW THE ISSUE YOU'VE DONE A LOT OF PRESS FOR, THIS IS THE DEEP FAKES, THE MISINFORMATION.

IS MINNESOTA STILL REALLY A LEADER?

>> WE ARE.

WE WERE ONE OF THE FIRST THREE STATES LAST YEAR TO IMPLEMENT A STATUTORY BAN ON THE USE OF DEEP FAKES.

IF IT'S WITHIN 90 DAYS OF THE ELECTIONS.

IF IT'S DONE WITHOUT THE PERMISSION OF THE PERSON WHO'S DEPICTED AND IF IT'S DONE FOR THE PURPOSE OF INFLUENCING THE OUTCOME OF AN ELECTION.

WE HAVEN'T HAD ANY TEST CASES YET.

BUT I INSPECT WE MIGHT.

>> Mary: VOTING RIGHTS ACT.

THAT FEDERAL POLICY IS TRICKLING DOWN AND THERE'S STATE LANGUAGE FROM THIS SESSION.

>> THAT'S RIGHT.

THE FEDERAL VETTING RIGHTS ACT, MOST PEOPLE KNOW, 1965, HUGE DEAL, BUT THERE WAS A FEDERAL COURT CASE IN THE 8TH SIR KATE COURT OF APPEALS WHICH BASICALLY TOOK WAY A LONG-HELD RITE.

IT SAID THAT INDIVIDUALS CAN'T SUE UNDER CERTAIN SECTIONS OF THE VOTING RIGHTS ACT.

THE STATE CAN, BUT AN INDIVIDUAL WHO FEELS THEY'VE BEEN DISCRIMINATEDDED AGAINST, THEY CAN'T EVEN GET A DAY IN COURT.

SO IN MINNESOTA WE FINALLY PASSED A STATE VOTING RIGHTS ACT.

SOMEONE IN MINNESOTA WHO THINKS THAT THEY WERE THE SUBJECT OF DISCRIMINATION CAN AT LEAST HAVE A DAY IN COURT.

>> Mary: WHAT ABOUT ELECTION WORKERS?

WE'RE LOSING ALL OVER THIS COUNTRY?

>> WE'RE IN MUCH BETTER SHAPE IN MINNESOTA.

WE NEED 30,000 ELECTION JUDGES EVERY CYCLE O PUT ON AN ELECTION.

SO PLEASE I HOPE VIEWERS WILL CONSIDER DOING THAT JOB.

BUT LAST YEAR WE SAFE GUARDED ELECTION WORKERS BY ADDING NEW PENALTIES IN LAW TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY'RE NOT MESSED WITH.

WE WANT TO KEEP OUR POLLING PLACES AS THEY REALLY ALMOST - ALWAYS HAVE BEEN IN MINNESOTA, KIND OF AN OASIS OF CALM.

>> Mary: SO ALL THE SEATS IN THE HOUSE AND YOU COULD HAVE SOME SPECIAL ELECTSES COMING IN THE SENATE BUT YOU DON'T KNOW YET.

WHAT DATES DO FOLKS NEED TO HIT TO GET ON HE NOVEMBER BALLOT?

>> IT'S SORT OF A MATTER OF INTERPRETATION.

BUT REALLY THE ABSOLUTE DROP DEAD DATE IS JUNE 8TH.

THERE'S AN RGUMENT THAT YOU REALLY SHOULD GET IT DONE BY JUNE 5TH FOR PEOPLE TO RESIGN.

>> Mary: E'RE GOING TO HEAR FROM RETIRING LAWMAKERS IN THE MOMENT.

>> MY FRIEND PAT GAROFALO.

HE'S REALLY A GREAT GUY.

AND WAS A REALLY EFFECTIVE AND GOOD AND RESPECTED LAWMAKER.

WE COME FROM DIFFERENT POLITICAL PARTIES BUT WE WERE CLASSMATES AND I JUST WANTED TO GIVE HIM A SHOUT-OUT BECAUSE HE'S REALLY AN EXCEPTIONAL PUBLIC SERVANT.

EVEN WHEN WE DISAGREED, A LEARN A LOT FROM HIM AND HE'S REALLY JUST A PRINCIPLED PERSON AND IDENTIFICATION IT'S A