FARIBAULT COUNTY, Minn. — Voters in Faribault County may have been confused to see candidates for State Representative in District 23A mistakenly listed as belonging to a different political party.  

The error was acknowledged by the Minnesota Secretary of State Office Friday evening. In a press release, Secretary Steve Simon said the misprint is limited to ballots in Faribault County, and 17 ballots were “issued in error.” 

On the ballot, Joe Staloch, a DFLer, is listed as a Republican. Incumbent Rep. Peggy Bennett, a Republican, is listed as a member of the DFL. 

Secretary Simon said county officials will be “pursuing corrective action through the courts.” The corrective action will include instructions being sent to voters who received and returned an incorrect ballot to ensure their vote is counted correctly, he said. 

“In every election, despite the best efforts of our hard-working county election officials, mistakes happen. Our office is thankful for the swift action of Faribault County officials after learning of the error and is committed to partnering with them where appropriate to ensure this mistake is remedied for all impacted voters as soon as possible,” Simon said in a press release. 

Rep. Bennett expressed disappointment Friday, saying she is “already losing votes” due to the “blunder.” 

“It is just disappointing that these ballots weren’t doubled checked for errors by the Secretary of State’s Office before being printed. Election integrity matters, and distributing inaccurate ballots to the county certainly undermines election integrity in our state,” she said in a press release. 

Staloch said in a Facebook post that the error is “unfortunate” but it is “important to remain calm.” 

“I’m proud to be a Democrat but, as I understand it, our founding fathers weren’t to keen on parties themselves. If I haven’t done enough or my opponent hasn’t done enough to get elected on our own merits without the benefit of a D or an R next to our names then WE have failed you not someone sitting at a desk at a print shop in St. Paul,” he said in the social media post.

The error is limited to Faribault County, according to the Minnesota Secretary of State Office. Ballots in Freeborn, Steele, and Waseca counties are not impacted. 

MINNEAPOLIS — If you’ve ever played a Minnesota Lottery game or watched a commercial, chances are you know that a portion of the proceeds are invested back into Minnesota’s environment and natural resources.

You might not realize that the constitutional amendment that made that funding possible is up for renewal, and anything short of a yes vote could put future environmental and outdoor projects in jeopardy.

In 1988, Minnesota voters first approved a constitutional amendment that dedicated a portion of lottery proceeds to the Environment and Natural Resources Trust Fund.  Each year since, the Legislative-Citizen Commission on Minnesota Resources (LCCMR) has worked to help disperse that funding.

“In the last 36 years we’ve provided about $1.1 billion of funding to 1,700 projects all over the state, so literally we have provided support within every county of the state,” said Becca Nash, director of the LCCMR.

Those projects have included research on drinking water, wastewater, and air quality to name just a few. They have also helped fund new parks, trails and campsites; supported loon and bison populations; and fostered outdoor activities in many different ways.

Nash: “Whether it’s research to help protect our waters from invasive species, getting kids out on canoes to explore the boundary waters or creating parks and trails, however people experience the outdoors and nature, we’re providing funding to support that.”  

Erdahl: “We’re standing on a fishing pier, which have received a lot of support in the last few years, right?” 

Nash: “Absolutely, we’ve been providing funding for the Department of Natural Resources and local communities to create and maintain fishing piers and make fishing and experiencing the outdoors more accessible to everyone.” 

While the legislature and governor have final say on spending, Nash said the commission has worked hard to earn their trust through its vetting of proposals and continued oversight after projects are awarded.

“I think in our 36-year history there has maybe been 100 projects out of 1,700 that have been adjusted in some way by the legislature,” she said.

With that track record, it’s no big surprise that the constitutional amendment has overwhelming, bipartisan support.

“I haven’t heard of any opposition to it,” said Representative Athena Hollins, who authored the amendment and is a member of the LCCMR.

Though amendment one certainly isn’t controversial, Hollins said voting ‘yes’ is still critical.

“That’s the most important thing that I have been trying to tell everyone about,” she said. “Because it’s a constitutional amendment provision, if you decided to skip it or you feel like maybe you don’t understand, well-enough, what it’s about, then that counts as a ‘no’ vote.”

If the amendment fails, all that money would go into the state’s general fund instead, and while the legislature could still decide to spend it on our natural resources, Hollins said she’d rather put her trust in the trust fund.

“When it really comes down to it everyone agrees that our natural resources are important,” she said. “And so making sure that there is this continued source of funding for the next 25 years, is really essential.”