Oak Grove has turned a long-simmering election dispute into a full-blown court fight. On May 28, 2026, the city filed a lawsuit naming Minnesota Secretary of State Steve Simon and Anoka County election officials, asking a judge to let Oak Grove use paper voter rosters in the 2026 general election. The complaint says county officials blocked the city from returning to paper rosters and warned city election staff they could face criminal prosecution if they did not follow the county's roster-format rules. What might sound like a paperwork squabble has quickly become a test of municipal authority over basic precinct procedures.
City pushes back, wants a say over precinct tools
In the suit, Oak Grove argues it has the right to choose old-school paper poll books for its precincts, and the filing was shared publicly by the Upper Midwest Law Center on the city's behalf, according to KARE 11. Earlier this year, the City Council approved a resolution directing staff to discontinue electronic poll rosters and to negotiate with county and state officials about reverting to paper, as outlined in the City Council packet from the City of Oak Grove. City leaders say they are deliberately pressing the legal question of who, exactly, gets to decide roster format at the precinct level.
County insists it calls the shots
Anoka County officials counter that the county sets roster format for state and federal contests and has declined Oak Grove's request, saying electronic rosters provide real-time updates that help avoid duplicate ballots and speed voter check-in, according to Anoka County. The county board has reaffirmed its support for electronic rosters and authorized purchases of poll pads used across precincts. That stance has put the city and county on a steady collision course over how voters are processed when they walk into the polls.
What Oak Grove claims in court
The lawsuit alleges county officials threatened city election workers with criminal prosecution if they did not follow Anoka County's roster-format guidelines and asks the court to allow paper rosters in the 2026 general election, according to KARE 11. The filing frames the clash as a legal question over statutory authority and asks the courts to settle which level of government has the final say on precinct check-in systems. The Upper Midwest Law Center is representing Oak Grove in the challenge.
Paper vs. digital at the check-in table
Under existing procedures, paper poll books create a physical record at the precinct and are required to be present, while county materials emphasize that digital rosters can update absentee status and reduce human error. Both sides say their preferred method better protects voters and the integrity of the process, according to the City of Oak Grove. Those practical differences can loom large on busy Election Days, when precincts are dealing with heavy turnout and last-minute changes.
What happens next
The case now moves into the courts, with Oak Grove pressing for a ruling that would allow paper rosters at its precincts in the November 2026 general election. A schedule for hearings or any expedited relief was not included in the public materials reviewed for this story. The suit could set a precedent for other municipalities that want to opt out of county electronic roster systems.
Whichever way the court rules, the fight shines a spotlight on a small but consequential part of election administration: who gets to decide the tools voters encounter at the ballot box. City and county officials say they share the same goal of orderly, accurate elections, yet they remain firmly at odds over the best way to get there.
