MN06Watch

Happy to engage rational arguments all day — that’s how both sides learn and improve. When it devolves into name-calling, that conversation is over. It shows a lack of emotional maturity and makes productive dialogue impossible.

This isn’t evidence of cheating. Here’s what actually happens — A second ballot in the mail is usually a registration update, often triggered automatically when someone renews their license at the DMV. It’s common and documented. Here’s why it can’t become a second vote: once your ballot is returned, you’re marked as voted in the system. The pollbooks at every vote center are networked to the registrar. Try to cast a second — by mail or in person — and the system blocks it. Duplicates get flagged; only one counts. Voting twice is a felony: up to 3 years in California, 5 federally. Even MN’s Secretary of State has put it plainly — “knowingly voting twice is a felony. Period.” A second envelope isn’t a second vote. The safeguard is the database, not the paper. And note: voter ID wouldn’t change any of this — the trigger here is a registration update, not someone impersonating a voter at the polls.

Voter ID now. Stop the cheating!

Max doin us proud!

“Most J6 trials were a joke — 3 years in jail, mostly solitary, then pled to a misdemeanor.” I keep seeing versions of this. Let’s check the math, because it doesn’t survive contact with the actual charges. The charge ~94% of J6 defendants faced was 18 U.S.C. § 1752(a)(1) — “knowingly enters or remains in any restricted building or grounds.” Statutory maximum: one year. You cannot serve three years on a charge that caps at one. So how does anyone sit for ~3 years? Only two ways, and both break the story being told. Either it was pretrial detention — which a judge only orders after finding someone a danger or flight risk, reserved almost entirely for violent-assault and conspiracy defendants — or it was a sentence on a felony like assaulting officers or civil disorder. Neither is the “peaceful protestor who walked in and walked back out” the post describes. That’s the sleight of hand: it takes the suffering of the small violent/detained group and staples it onto the charge of the large nonviolent group, inventing one victim who doesn’t actually exist. The typical misdemeanor outcome wasn’t three years in solitary. It was a fine and probation. Here’s the part the post gets right, and it matters: the “police waved me in / held the door open” defense was real. Judge Trevor McFadden — a Trump appointee — acquitted Matthew Martin at a bench trial, finding the government hadn’t proven he knowingly entered. The system honored that defense. Which is exactly why the rest collapses. That defense existed and won acquittals — so the people who pled to the misdemeanor instead did so because their own facts (broken glass, breached barricades, no security screening) made knowing entry provable. And the plea required admitting it, under oath: every misdemeanor plea included a signed stipulation that the defendant “knowingly entered and remained in a restricted building without lawful authority.” So pick one. Either the plea was true and you knew you weren’t allowed in, or it was false and you committed perjury at sentencing. You don’t get to bank the lenient charge and disown the one admission that bought it. Three years on a one-year charge isn’t a miscarriage of justice. It’s two different defendants spliced into one fictional victim. Receipts, not rage.

Most J6 trials were a joke. Here’s an analogy. You’re outside a bank protesting fees. Peacefully. A couple people decide to force their way inside the bank and rob it. At your trial, the prosecution is allowed to show video of the robbery, painting you as a co-conspirator in the robbery, but the judge won’t allow your attorneys to present video evidence that clearly shows you played no part in the bank robbery. You walked inside the bank once the doors were opened (the security guard literally held the door open for you) but turned around and went back outside. The prosecution asks for a 20-year sentence. You’re in jail for 3 years, much of that time in solitary confinement. Horrible conditions. You deplete your life’s savings. You accept a plea deal. Plead guilty to a misdemeanor to make it go away and get your life back. The government has unlimited resources. You don’t. Nearly all J6’ers were treated like the world’s worst terrorists. Most were just peaceful protestors.

Principle #1 from the Model Election Laws Handbook is solid: verify citizenship before adding anyone to the rolls using DHS SAVE, SSA/HAVV, REAL ID, vital records, etc. The problem remains: Enact the full Handbook — every safeguard — and a citizen who clears all of it can still be blocked from the federal ballot by the SAVE America Act’s floor. That’s not “complementary layers.” One overrides the other for federal races. Here’s the direct conflict: Receipts over everything. Which standard do we actually want? @JudicialWatch x.com/eiwatchdogs/st…

Not a bot — a person who read both documents. Here’s the question you skipped: The handbook gives states free IDs, notice-and-cure, multi-database verification, pending status. The SAVE America Act you’re promoting strips all of it out and preempts states from adding it back for federal elections. So which one reflects what you actually want? That’s a real question.

“They serve different purposes.” “Complementary layers.” Complementary means they stack. Both can be fully in effect at once. They can’t. Enact your handbook word for word — every safeguard, exactly as you wrote it. A citizen who clears all of it but lacks a SAVE-compliant document still gets blocked from the federal ballot. SAVE’s floor overrides your own safeguards exactly where it applies. The handbook’s purpose is that eligible citizens who meet its standards can vote. SAVE’s effect is that some of them can’t. Both cannot be true at the same time for federal elections. That’s not complementary. It’s mutually exclusive — and you get to pick which one you actually mean.

There is nothing contradictory about supporting BOTH the SAVE America Act and state-level election reforms. They serve different purposes. Election Integrity Network is a multifaceted organization primarily focused on building permanent election integrity in the states. That is exactly why the Model Election Laws Handbook exists: —to give citizens, coalitions, and state legislators a blueprint for stronger state election laws, including voter ID, voter roll maintenance, ballot security, audits, chain-of-custody protections, and citizenship verification systems tailored for state implementation. Check it out here:modelelectionlaws.org But Congress also created a federal problem in 1993 with the National Voter Registration Act. The NVRA forced every state to accept the federal voter registration form, which relies largely on self-attestation of citizenship instead of documentary proof. That federal mandate undermined states trying to secure voter registration systems and created massive vulnerabilities nationwide. So yes — Congress has a responsibility to fix what Congress broke. That is where the SAVE America Act comes in. The SAVE America Act addresses the lack of oversight happening in certain states where: • voter ID is resisted • voter roll maintenance is neglected • citizenship verification is weak or nonexistent • and policies in one state can effectively dilute and disenfranchise lawful American votes in another The Handbook focuses on long-term state solutions. The SAVE America Act addresses a federal registration loophole created by Congress. These are not competing ideas. They are complementary layers of election integrity reform. State solutions AND federal correction. Both matter.

Democrats have repeatedly authored voter ID standards — the America Votes Act, the Freedom to Vote Act. Congressional Democrats voted for a national ID requirement; Republicans voted against it. The fight was never ID vs. no ID. It’s which IDs count — and whether 49M+ Americans without a current license get shut out. The SAVE Act would be the strictest in the country: overrides state-accepted IDs, forces mail voters to photocopy theirs.

Democrats fight every commonsense effort to secure our elections. They oppose voter ID, proof of citizenship, and refuse to stop foreign money from funding ballot harvesting initiatives. If Congress fails to act now, we may never get another chance to secure our elections.

@ElectionNj @EIwatchdogs Just as true today as it was yesterday. x.com/mn6watch/statu…

I always wondered which politicians might have been elected and which might have been “selected “. Those for and against the SAVE America Act might be a good proxy to answer that question!

Ok, but now talk about the Save America Act, because that’s far wider than Voter ID. Even the Voter ID in Save is less popular because of how restrictive it is. You’re intentionally trying to distill it to only the most popular provision and leaving out all the parts that are unpopular.

Voter ID strengthens every legal vote by preventing fraud and abuse.

"Winning at the Supreme Court" is carrying a lot here. Strand wasn't a party at SCOTUS — that was Fischer v. United States, a different defendant. The ruling narrowed one obstruction statute (1512(c)(2)) and vacated that single felony count for ~350 J6 defendants, Strand included. His four misdemeanor convictions stood. A judge released him early on the strength of someone else's case. That's a favorable precedent, not a personal victory.

President Trump said his $1.8 billion weaponization slush fund is “peanuts” compared to what January 6th political prisoners faced. As someone who was prosecuted, faced a 20-year felony, placed in solitary confinement, and had my life destroyed before ultimately WINNING at the Supreme Court, I can confirm this. Justice for J6 prisoners cannot come soon enough.

Questions for @GOPMajorityWhip are in the piece. @RepBrianFitz, you said you'd try to kill it — where does the Whip stand?

This week the House Majority Whip talked about Minnesota fraud nonstop — "as high as nine billion dollars," he said on Fox Business. What he didn't say a word about: the $1.776 BILLION DOJ fund his own party spent the week revolting against. The one a top Republican is trying to kill. The one two Capitol Police officers are suing to stop because it could pay people convicted of assaulting them on Jan. 6. Charged in MN to date: ~$340M. The figure he won't discuss: $1.776B. Today's daily 👇 mn06watch.substack.com/p/anybody-in-t…

@WalterHudson I wrote about this in the beginning of May deviating from my normal coverage. As a father of 3, school safety is hugely important. Multiple things may be true on an issue, but thats no reason not to try to implement a solution like this. @3DResponseS mn06watch.substack.com/p/whats-the-mi…

A proven solution to "gun violence" and "school safety" has been introduced in the #mnleg for the past 3 years. Some Democrats and even Moms Demand Action activists saw the value. But their leash was yanked, because we can't have solutions that get in the way of Dem power. 👇

The most expensive House primary in U.S. history just removed Thomas Massie — a Republican who voted his conscience on the record for 13 years. House Majority Whip @GOPMajorityWhip went on cable the next morning and called it proof Trump's endorsement "matters." He wouldn't say @RepThomasMassie's name. What he also didn't mention: his own leadership PAC gave Massie $2,500 in 2024 — and Massie cast his lone Speaker vote for Emmer in 2025. The receipts: mn06watch.substack.com/p/emmer-massie…

Beautiful graphic and a well-deserved thank you to the citizen volunteers who built the Model Election Laws Handbook. It’s full of strong, practical safeguards: free state-issued photo IDs, notice & cure periods, signature standards, risk-limiting audits, and more. So when will EIN start pushing legislation that actually follows this handbook you’re celebrating? The SAVE America Act you’re demanding Congress attach to every bill includes almost none of those protections. Full side-by-side comparison here: mn06watch.com/articles/handb… Documents only — happy to host your response. @EIwatchdogs

The Election Integrity Network’s Model Election Laws Handbook was built by citizens. Election integrity volunteers across America spent the last five years researching, organizing, testifying, building coalitions, and refusing to give up on honest elections. Every page reflects the work and sacrifice of grassroots Americans committed to protecting self-government and restoring trust in our elections. These volunteers are the backbone of the election integrity movement. Thank you to the patriots building permanent election integrity. State by state. Citizen by citizen. Explore the handbook here: modelelectionlaws.org . @CletaMitchell @pigpenproject @NEEI_Coalition @MassGOPEIRC @Citizens4NJEI @EIN_Maine @Tnfairelections @EIN_Georgia @ILConservUnion @effe4usa @MerissaCaldwell @MIFairelections @RIFairElections @VaFairElections @projectcivica @ADvintegrity @MacIverWisc @C4WVEI @Standup_MI @KerriHT @JonesNed @SharonPBemis @KeystoneVictory @Restoring_USA @voterconfidence @capitalresearch @apublictrust @907Honest @TPPFelections @SaveOurStates @A1Policy @VaPublicPolicy @I_A_Project @TPPatriots @MyFaithVotes @Standup_MI @BCOR4EI @ITRwatchdog @KeystoneVictory @PAFairElections @ohio4truth @newlouisiana @OhioEIN @907Honest @TPPatriots @VoterGa @theandymangione

Fully agree on the need for voter ID and secure elections. But why isn’t the SAVE America Act you’re pushing aligned with your own Model Election Laws Handbook? Handbook has free IDs, notice & cure, audits, etc. SAVE Act has almost none of it. Full comparison: mn06watch.com/articles/handb… When will EIN push legislation that matches its own standards? @EIWatchdogs

I agree — President Trump is right that nothing should be signed until we have real voter ID and secure elections. The Model Election Laws Handbook you released has strong, detailed safeguards: free state photo IDs, notice & cure periods, signature standards, risk-limiting audits, and more. So when will you start pushing a bill that actually follows your own handbook? The SAVE America Act you’re demanding right now includes almost none of those protections.

President Trump understands the importance of the SAVE America Act. He has repeatedly made clear that election security matters — even saying that nothing should be signed into law until we have voter ID. And he’s right. The American people should not be underestimated. President Trump should not be underestimated. And the demand for secure elections is not going away. Enough excuses. Enough delays. Enough pretending election security is “too controversial.” The American people overwhelmingly support: ✔️ Proof of citizenship ✔️ Voter ID ✔️ Clean voter rolls The Senate needs to stop ignoring election security and pass the SAVE America Act. Because American elections should be decided by American citizens. @LeaderJohnThune @SenJohnBarrasso @SenateGOP

The US is far from the only country with mail voting. International IDEA — an intergovernmental democracy organization — found 31 other countries allow in-country postal voting. Vote by mail for ALL voters: Canada, Germany, Switzerland, the UK, New Zealand, South Korea, Iceland, Poland, Luxembourg, and Liechtenstein. Mail voting for some voters: Australia, India, Ireland, Japan, Spain, and more. Source: International IDEA, reported by PBS and Statista. The US isn’t behind on this — it’s in the company of every major democracy that uses mail voting.

@CletaMitchell @EIwatchdogs A review of our election system practices has revealed that the US is far behind most of the other world countries on election risk management. For example, the US is the only country reviewed that allows mail-in balloting. The Model Laws Handbook will strengthen our elections.

Back to work, after a great GA victory over Brad Raffensperger, Gabe Sterling and Chris Carr, corrupt elections architects!!! @EIwatchdogs last week released the Model Election Laws Handbook ModelLawsHandbook.com. Here’s what Marc Elias pro-corrupt elections rag Democracy Docket wrote about the Handbook: “Anti-voting lawyer’s election denial network releases new blueprint to severely restrict voting The Election Integrity Network (EIN) — the anti-voting group led by Cleta Mitchell, the far-right lawyer who played a key role in Trump’s failed attempt to overturn the 2020 election — released a sweeping new handbook last week that urges lawmakers and election officials to severely restrict mail-in voting, eliminate same-day voter registration, impose rigorous ID requirements, conduct mass voter challenges and empower officials to deny and delay certification.   These are long-standing goals of EIN, but the handbook marks a dangerous escalation from one of the most influential election denial operations in right-wing politics. •The handbook’s proposals are rooted in the same distrust of elections and conspiracy-laden claims about fraud, noncitizen voting and corrupt election officials that have animated the GOP’s anti-voting push since 2020.
 •One of the most alarming proposals would redefine election certification — the formal step where officials sign off on election results — as a discretionary act. Translation: Officials could claim they have the power to refuse or delay certification if they say they have unresolved concerns.
 •The handbook also calls for limiting early voting to no longer than seven days, restoring Election Day as the main voting period, and repealing no-excuse absentee voting. All are policies that could disenfranchise large numbers of voters. 
 •“What has become clear is that those who oppose election integrity really want corruption of our elections,” Mitchell wrote in a letter accompanying the handbook. “Ours is a binary choice when it comes to election policy: choose either election integrity vs. corrupt, inaccurate, and insecure elections.” And there you have it. EIN supports honest elections. And the laws that make them reality. And Marc Elias hates that. Join ElectionIntegrityNetwork.org.

The Senate may be struggling to advance the SAVE America Act, but the House has an opportunity to lead AGAIN. Speaker Mike Johnson and House Republicans can keep election security front and center by attaching SAVE America Act provisions to every major piece of legislation until it is signed into law. Proof of citizenship. Voter ID. Clean voter rolls. These are common-sense protections supported by millions of Americans. Now is the time to use the leverage the House already has to secure elections for American citizens. Call your House member: 📞 202-224-3121 Encourage them to stand strong and keep the SAVE America Act in every legislative fight until it becomes law. Because American elections should be decided by American citizens.

@PeteStauber Yes, this is true. And no matter how many times you say it, it is still true that there is no Voter ID bill in Congress, especially not with the IDs people think of when they are answering that question. Do you have any interest in introducing that legislation?

82% of Americans - an overwhelming majority off Democrats AND Republicans - want Voter ID in their elections!