MINNEAPOLIMEDIA NEWS | Minnesota Supreme Court Sides With Oak Grove in Fight to Use Paper Voter Rosters

The ruling resolves a dispute MinneapoliMedia reported earlier this week and allows the Anoka County city to abandon electronic poll books at its precincts for the November general election

OAK GROVE, MN (September 12, 2026). The Minnesota Supreme Court has sided with the City of Oak Grove in its closely watched dispute with Anoka County and state election officials, clearing the way for the city to use paper voter rosters at its polling places in the November general election.

The decision came three days after the state's highest court heard oral arguments in City of Oak Grove v. Steve Simon, case A26-0910. MinneapoliMedia reported September 9 on the arguments and the underlying dispute over who has authority to determine whether voters are checked in using electronic poll books or traditional printed rosters. The court's oral-argument record confirms that the case was heard September 8.

Oak Grove had asked the Supreme Court to declare that municipalities have authority under Minnesota election law to choose the roster format used in precincts they administer. Anoka County officials disagreed, maintaining that the county controlled roster format for elections involving county, state and federal offices.

The Supreme Court's ruling resolves that immediate question in Oak Grove's favor. FOX 9 reported Friday evening that the court concluded the city may use paper voter rosters in the 2026 general election.

The dispute centers on Minnesota Statute 201.225. The law says that a county, municipality or school district “may use electronic rosters for any election” and provides procedures for jurisdictions that elect to use them. Separately, Minnesota law defines a polling-place roster as either a printed roster or an electronic roster permitted under that statute.

Electronic rosters, sometimes called electronic poll books or poll pads, allow election judges to locate registered voters, update registrations and process Election Day registrations electronically. Minnesota law also requires precincts using electronic rosters to maintain an approved paper backup system in case the electronic system becomes unavailable.

Oak Grove had participated in Anoka County's electronic roster system since 2018. The City Council later moved to discontinue that arrangement and return to paper rosters. A February 2025 city resolution directed staff to work with Anoka County and the Minnesota Secretary of State's Office to discontinue electronic rosters at Oak Grove precincts.

The disagreement eventually reached the Supreme Court after state and county officials resisted the city's decision. Oak Grove filed its petition May 28, asking the justices to require election officials to recognize municipal authority over the roster choice.

The ruling does not eliminate electronic poll books in Anoka County or across Minnesota. It addresses whether Oak Grove may choose paper rosters for its own precincts.

That distinction is important.

Electronic poll books remain authorized under Minnesota law, and jurisdictions that use them must meet state technology, reporting and certification requirements. The Oak Grove case concerned who makes the choice, not whether electronic rosters themselves are lawful.

The decision could nevertheless attract attention from other Minnesota municipalities considering changes to their election procedures because the statutory language applies statewide.

For Oak Grove voters, the immediate consequence is clearer: barring another legal or administrative development before Election Day, election judges at the city's polling places will check voters against printed rosters rather than the Anoka County electronic poll-book system.

The November general election is less than two months away.

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