A Minnesota county sent out ballots on Friday that mislabeled the Republican candidate as Democrat and the Democrat candidate as a Republican.
Peggy Bennett, an incumbent Republican state representative running in the District 23A race, was labeled on ballots in Faribault County as a member of the Democratic-Farmer-Labor (DFL) party, which is affiliated with the Democratic Party as laid out on DFL’s website. Bennett’s opponent, Joe Staloch, was listed as the Republican candidate despite being a Democrat. A copy of the incorrect ballot can be found on the Secretary of State’s website.
The Secretary of State’s office said in a release on Friday that “seventeen ballots were issued with this error.” Ballots for State Representative District 23A “issued by Freeborn, Steele, and Waseca counties accurately list the candidates’ parties,” the office claimed.
Bennett became aware of the issue after a Republican supporter in Faribault County “contacted her asking when she became a Democrat,” according to a Friday press release from Bennett. The supporter cast his ballot for Staloch, who was listed as the Republican candidate.
Early voting in the state began on Sept. 20.
Bennett reassured her constituents that she remains a Republican in a statement.
“On the heels of the news that more than 1,000 non-citizens were put onto Minnesota’s new automatic voter registration system, Faribault County voters in House District 23A are now being handed ballots that have messed up my party affiliation,” Bennett said.
“I want to make it clear; this is not the fault
