Democrat Steve Simon wins third term as Minnesota secretary of state

Minnesota Democratic Secretary of State Steve Simon won a third term over Republican challenger Kim Crockett.

The race tested voters' faith in the state's election system.

Simon, an advocate for early and accessible voting, wanted to keep Minnesota's voting laws intact and the state to consider automatically registering people to vote when they get their driver's license. He noted the state often ranks first nationally in turnout.

"We have a system that is fundamentally clean and honest. We want to build on our Minnesota success story," Simon said Tuesday night.

Crockett, an attorney who has cast doubt on the legitimacy of the 2020 presidential election, said she would push to shorten the state's early voting period, limit who can vote by absentee ballot, eliminate same-day voter registration and require photo identification at polling places.

"Our country is terribly divided over past elections and election policy," Crockett said during an October televised debate against Simon. "It's time to consider common-sense changes."

Crockett and other Republicans who have been labeled "election deniers" have accused their critics of trying to silence discussion about election integrity. They've noted some Democrats doubted Donald Trump's 2016 election victory, claiming it was tainted by Russian interference.

Simon's advocacy for early voting has been criticized by Crockett and other Republicans who think the state's 46-day voting period invites complications. Ballots sent to three counties this fall had to be corrected because the ballots contained wrong information.

Simon, who was seeking a third term, has stressed that early absentee voting is secure, noting that Minnesotans must provide their signature and personal information when ordering a ballot.

The typically sleepy race for the state's top elections office drew millions of dollars in outside spending, with most of it going to Simon. In the campaign's final stretch this past month, Simon outspent Crockett nearly tenfold — roughly $780,000 to her $80,000.