Concerned about threats to voting rights, three Hubbard County residents – including an election judge – met with the county board.
During the public portion of Tuesday’s meeting, Sept. 15, Christina Hill said, “I’m here to be reassured by each county commissioner that our elections will be held in a secure, accessible and fair manner. I’m here to hear that you stand with our local elected officials and strictly follow Minnesota election laws. I’m here to know that you, our commissioners, in a clear voice, stand against election misinformation and unlawful interference, whether that be by local individuals or federal groups.”
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Denise Ristinen has been an election judge in Hubbard County “for several cycles.”
“When I walk in that door as an election judge, I take an oath, and I leave my political beliefs outside the door,” she said.
The oath is that “everyone who is eligible to vote has the freedom to vote and every vote is counted,” Ristinen continued.
With regard to “the perception of many voters,” she recounted that two people in the 2024 election asked “strange things.”
“One person asked me how many illegals have voted. I said, ‘None, and they never have,” Ristinen said. “Shortly after that, I had another person say, ‘How many illegal immigrants have you let vote?’ I said, ‘None. They never have, and I won’t let them.’ And then that person said, ‘Well, how many of those communist Democrats have you let vote?’ To that, I had no response.”
Ristenen continued, “The purpose of sharing that with you is to let you know that what’s being said at the federal level, through social media, news or wherever, is resonating with people in the back roads of our county. And just to make you aware there’s a thread going through there.”
As an election judge, Ristenen said she feels confident that the county board has her back and she has theirs, along with the voters sitting behind her who attended the meeting.
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“I’ll make sure election integrity is held,” she concluded, adding, if the ballot count is off by one vote, she knows the local judges will be “in a helluva long night until we find that one vote.”
Jenny Redlin said, “I’m here today because we’ve been seeing real threats to voting rights, especially from the federal government. I’m concerned that many people have become confused by this interference. I’m wondering if this will cause them to not cast their votes this election.”
All thanked the county commissioners for their public service and for protecting voting rights in Hubbard County.
The board did not respond.
In other business, the board did this:
- Established a 2027 market price for municipal solid waste (MSW) disposal. According to County Solid Waste Administrator Josh Holte’s report, this rate is used to calculate how much tax the county pays to the state. Renewed hauling contracts in 2026 resulted in a change of the market price from $34.05 per ton of MSW to $35.06, said Holte.
- Accepted the low quote of $37,230 from Knife River, of Bemidji, for paving an approach on CSAH 32, at the junction of U.S. Hwy. 71.
- Made a final payment of $9,895 to Gerit Hanson Contracting Inc., of Blackduck, for a CSAH 45 bridge replacement project completed last year.
- Made a final payment of $6,018 to Gladen Construction Inc., of Laporte, for construction of a center turn lane on CSAH 4 and 40.
- Approved a 33-foot-wide easement request from Ronald and Alice Vojak to cross tas-forfeited land (TFL) in Section 12 of Lake Hattie Township, creating legal access to their private property. At approximately 1.21 acres, the value of the easement is $1,815.
- Approved a TFL easement transfer to new property owners Jennifer Platt and Javier Jimenez Jr. It comprises 0.6 acres.
- Approved a temporary easement and drainage easement with the Minnesota Department of Transportation for State Hwy. 200 construction and improvements.
- Approved 13 tracts of timber to be sold at an Oct. 5 auction. The appraised value of the timber is $167,720.
- Approved local registrations by Mrs. Sippi LLC and Prime Time Enterprises LLC to be lower-potency hemp edible retailers.
Shannon Geisen can be reached at sgeisen@parkrapidsenterprise.com.