Appeals court blocks Minnesota law targeting election integrity group

The 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has ordered a lower court to block a Minnesota voter-interference law as it applies to the Minnesota Voters Alliance. A three-judge panel ruled that the law, when applied to the group, acts as a prior restraint on speech without sufficient procedural safeguards.

The case involves House File 3, which prohibits transmitting information known to be materially false regarding voter eligibility within 60 days of an election. This law works alongside HF 28, which restores voting rights to felons who are not currently incarcerated for their offense. The Minnesota Voters Alliance seeks to assert that the state's current policies regarding felon voting rights violate the state constitution, and the court's decision allows them to make these claims without the risk of prosecution while the case proceeds.

Judge David Stras, writing for the unanimous panel, noted that the group must be allowed to express their beliefs regarding voter qualifications. The laws in question were signed by Governor Tim Walz in 2023.