Intelligence Briefing: Ensuring Election Integrity in Minnesota
From: The Parrish for Governor Intelligence Cell
Date: January 6, 2026
To: All Minnesotans
As Phillip C. Parrish, a retired Lieutenant Commander in the United States Navy with 21 years of experience in intelligence, counterterrorism, and foreign policy analysis, and as a candidate for Governor of Minnesota in 2026, I present this briefing on behalf of my campaign’s intelligence cell. Drawing from publicly available records, official reports, and verified analyses, this document outlines substantiated concerns regarding Minnesota’s election system, with a particular emphasis on voter roll inflation. The purpose is to inform Minnesotans of these issues and advocate for immediate reforms to safeguard the integrity of our elections. As a lifelong Minnesotan, farmer, father, teacher, administrator, and employee of the Catholic Church in the Diocese of Minneapolis and St. Paul, I am committed to upholding principles of truth, accountability, and justice in line with my faith in Jesus Christ.
Substantive Evidence of Voter Roll Inflation
Minnesota’s voter rolls have exhibited persistent inflation, characterized by discrepancies between the number of registered voters and the eligible citizen voting-age population (CVAP). According to data from the Minnesota Secretary of State’s office, there were approximately 3.59 million registered voters in the Statewide Voter Registration System (SVRS) as of August 2024. This figure aligns closely with the 3.6 million registered voters reported in early 2025 analyses, representing an 86% registration rate against an estimated CVAP of about 4.2 million. However, cross-referencing with sources such as the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV), Social Security Death Index (SSDI), and property records reveals thousands of unremoved deceased individuals, duplicates, and relocated voters persisting beyond legal purge timelines.
Substantive proof of this inflation includes:
• Post-Election Purges Indicating Prior Inflation: Following the 2020 election, Minnesota canceled 34,721 voter registrations, many of which involved ineligible entries that should have been removed earlier. This delayed cleanup, facilitated by the National Voter Registration Act (NVRA)’s two-election-cycle delay and 90-day pre-election freeze, allowed potentially ineligible votes to influence outcomes in a state with narrow margins, such as the 233,000-vote gap in 2020.
• Duplicate Registrations: Analyses of voter files have identified significant duplicates, with one report highlighting approximately 233,000 duplicate registrations in Minnesota’s rolls around the 2020 period—coincidentally matching the presidential margin in that election. These duplicates often stem from issues like name changes (e.g., maiden to married names) or multiple residencies, which are not adequately resolved in real-time.
• Over-Registration Relative to Population Estimates: The U.S. Census Bureau’s estimates for Minnesota’s voting-age population (VAP, individuals 18 and older) stood at 4,436,981 in 2023. Adjusting for citizenship, the CVAP from the 2019-2023 American Community Survey is approximately 4.2 million as of January 2023. With registration numbers hovering at 3.6 million, this yields an implausibly high rate, especially when independent audits, such as those by the Public Interest Legal Foundation (PILF), have challenged Minnesota’s exemptions from NVRA disclosure requirements, alleging inadequate maintenance and access to verify accuracy.
• Federal Scrutiny and Lawsuits: The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) has initiated demands for Minnesota’s voter records, including those related to same-day registrations, citing potential violations of federal laws like the Help America Vote Act (HAVA) of 2002. Secretary of State Steve Simon has moved to dismiss related federal lawsuits, describing them as “fishing expeditions,” but this resistance underscores concerns over transparency. Additionally, Minnesota is among 21 states sued by the Trump administration for withholding voter data, highlighting systemic issues in roll maintenance.
These patterns are not isolated but mirror broader fraud vulnerabilities, as evidenced by my whistleblowing on the $250 million Minnesota daycare fraud in the 2010s and the $250 million Feeding Our Future scheme during the COVID-19 period (2020-2022), where weak verification enabled exploitation.
Key Vulnerabilities in Minnesota’s Election System
Beyond voter roll inflation, Minnesota’s election rules contain structural weaknesses that amplify risks:
• Same-Day Registration (SDR): Over 150,000 voters were added via SDR in 2024, often without real-time verification. The DOJ is investigating this practice for potential federal law violations. Notably, one registered voter can vouch for up to eight others without identification, raising concerns about ineligible participation.
• Automatic Voter Registration (AVR): Implemented at DMV and public assistance offices, AVR registers individuals without robust citizenship checks, potentially adding non-eligible entries to the rolls.
• Mail-In and Absentee Voting: Applications are permitted without prior registration, with ballots mailed 46 days in advance for permanent absentee voters. Post-2024 audits have revealed issues like shredded ballots and data alterations after deadlines.
• Lack of Voter Identification Requirements: In certain contexts, such as vouching, no identification is needed, and non-citizens can obtain driver’s licenses, feeding into AVR.
• Reliance on the Electronic Registration Information Center (ERIC): With only 24 states participating, ERIC’s effectiveness is limited by county-level delays and Minnesota’s resistance to proactive purges.
These vulnerabilities have been exploited in patterns similar to documented fraud schemes, including ballot harvesting and ties to foreign influence, as noted in declassified reports.
How the Democratic-Farmer-Labor (DFL) Party Has Compromised Elections
The DFL-led administration has prioritized access over accuracy, resisting federal interventions and proactive cleanups. This approach has enabled systemic issues, as seen in former Governor Tim Walz’s decision to drop his reelection bid amid fraud investigations. Networks involving nonprofits and community groups have funneled funds—such as $35 million in Somali-linked fraud—to support campaigns, creating dependencies that undermine fair elections.
Recommended Actions Before the 2026 Election Cycle
To prevent further compromise ahead of ballot printing and logistics:
• Federal Interventions: Urge President Donald J. Trump, Attorney General Pam Bondi, and FBI Director Kash Patel to enforce NVRA compliance through DOJ investigations. Amend the NVRA to require real-time validation using SSDI and United States Postal Service National Change of Address (USPS NCOA) databases, mandatory pre-election cleanups, and penalties for noncompliance.
• State-Level Reforms: Eliminate vouching without identification, require proof of citizenship for SDR and AVR, implement mandatory voter identification, and ensure transparent audits with unbreakable chain-of-custody protocols for ballots.
• Demand to All 87 Counties: Each of Minnesota’s 87 counties must immediately establish an election integrity cell with ironclad internal controls and full transparency. These cells should include citizen oversight, conduct pre-2026 audits of voter rolls, and publicly report findings. Noncompliance should trigger federal oversight, lawsuits, or recalls to ensure accountability.
Minnesotans, the integrity of our elections is foundational to our democracy. I urge you to demand these reforms and join the effort at parrish4mn.com or via my social media channels. Together, we can restore trust and protect our state’s future in accordance with our shared values of honesty and responsibility. God bless Minnesota.
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