Conservative influencers charged over Minnesota polling place disguise stunt

Summarised from 2 outlets · Updated 28 Oct, 19:10 · Archive

Two rightwing influencers have been charged with felonies in Minneapolis for attempting to disguise themselves and claim false identities at polling places.

James O'Keefe and Cam Higby were charged with felonies for unlawful voting and identity theft by Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty on Wednesday. The charges relate to their actions during Minnesota's August primary, when they visited multiple polling places dressed in what they described as 'Muslim garb', claiming to be registered voters from those precincts.

The men were attempting to demonstrate vulnerabilities in Minnesota's 'vouching' system, which allows a registered voter from the same precinct to vouch for up to eight other voters' eligibility. Under state law, a voucher must sign an affidavit under penalty of perjury stating they personally know the person they are vouching for. Moriarty said O'Keefe and Higby did not sign these required affidavits or obtain ballots. She noted that signing false affidavits would have constituted perjury.

According to the Minnesota secretary of state's website, the vouching process is rarely used, accounting for less than 0.6 per cent of votes in the 2024 general election, largely by people updating their names or addresses in voter records. Moriarty stated that the men intentionally misrepresented their identities to election judges.

How it is being reported

• America's wokest prosecutor charges conservative activist James O'Keefe with unlawful voting after he dressed in Muslim garb and went to polling station 'to expose the sheer lunacy of Minnesota system'Influencers James O'Keefe and Cam Higby were charged on Wednesday with unlawful voting and identity theft by Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty over a political stunt they pulled in August.Daily Mail · 28 Oct, 18:54
• Conservative influencers charged with unlawful voting, disguising themselves in ‘Muslim garb’James O’Keefe and Cam Higby were trying to show vulnerabilities in allowing a voter to vouch for another Two rightwing influencers have been charged with felonies in Minneapolis over attempts in the state’s election primary to disguise themselves in what they called “Muslim garb” and claim they were local voters. James O’Keefe and Cam Higby went to polling places in Minnesota during the state’s August primary in an attempt to show vulnerabilities in the practice of “vouching”, where a registered voter from the same precinct can vouch for another voter’s eligibility. Continue reading...Guardian World · 28 Oct, 18:07

In this story: James O'Keefe · Cam Higby · Mary Moriarty · Minneapolis · Minnesota · Hennepin County

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