Minnesota Hearing Resurfaces as Tim Walz Expands Driver’s Licenses, Renewing Voter Eligibility Debate

A resurfaced Minnesota House Fraud Committee hearing is renewing debate over voter eligibility safeguards following the expansion of the state’s “Driver’s Licenses for All” law signed by Gov. Tim Walz. During the October 2025 hearing, Minnesota Elections Director Paul Linnell acknowledged that in certain scenarios, a non-citizen holding a valid Minnesota driver’s license could clear a challenge to an incomplete voter registration and cast a ballot, despite the license not proving U.S. citizenship. The controversy has intensified amid Minnesota’s rollout of automatic voter registration (AVR), raising questions about citizenship verification, election integrity, and voter fraud prevention. State officials argue safeguards and felony penalties exist, while critics say gaps between DMV and voter systems could allow misuse, prompting calls for legislative reform.