Is Voter Suppression Going to Happen in Minnesota?

Well, there’s some potential for it. With the Obama pulling ahead in the polls and the threat of serious seat losses across the country in November, TPM has recently revisited voter suppression operations, and the potential the connections between the suppression efforts and the U.S. Attorney scandal.

And since Minnesota might have some close state-wide races, there’s a possibility for some illegal activity.

At this point, Minnesota is almost safely in the Barry column, with 538 looking at the polls and collecting a projected 8.5 point lead over McCain, with an even higher trend adjustment of 9.5.  Despite that lead, 538 gives an even larger advantage to Obama in WI; and in Milwaukee there’s been GOP efforts to send “observers” to the polls.

What’s possibly more important about suppression efforts is the fact that the last eight years of our painful presidency are having a trickle down effect and deeply impacting state races, like the Minnesota Senate race, where recently Al Franken took a lead over Norm Coleman in the latest Rasmussen poll and Princeton poll.

Could voter suppression affect the national presidential race in Minnesota?  It’s unlikely.  Could it affect the state-wide races?  If the races are close enough, yes.

Is there potential for party-influenced suppression efforts in Minnesota? Yes.  Don’t forget that Minnesota’s U.S. Attorney, Tommy Heffelfinger, was listed as someone to target under the DOJ’s scheme to get more party loyalists in place at state level offices.  Heffelfinger wasn’t fired, but his replacement, Rachel Paulose, was an under-qualified party loyalist who encountered a bit of drama at her office.  (Has there been a replacement, btw?)