Tonsager wants more post-election hand audits in Sherburne County

Michael Tonsager, candidate for Sherburne County Auditor, is urging expanded manual post-election audits in Sherburne County, Minnesota, after citing a new CISA report on election-system vulnerabilities. The proposal would go beyond the county’s current practice of reviewing only three precincts and is meant to increase voter confidence in election results.

Why it matters: - Tonsager is arguing that Sherburne County should verify election results more aggressively than Minnesota’s minimum requirements. - The push centers on voter confidence, paper-ballot verification and limiting reliance on voting technology alone. - The proposal could change how many precincts and races are reviewed after elections in Sherburne County.

What happened: - Michael Tonsager, candidate for Sherburne County Auditor, released an updated policy position calling for more rigorous post-election manual reviews of paper ballots. - Tonsager tied the proposal to the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency’s Election Report, dated July 13, 2026. - Tonsager said Sherburne County currently reviews only three randomly selected precincts after elections. - Tonsager said he would expand those reviews if elected auditor.

The details: - The CISA report examined technical assessments conducted from 2019 to 2024 at the request of system owners and operators. - The report found that election-related software often runs with known, unpatched vulnerabilities because of fragmented certification rules and delayed patching. - CISA also documented recurring weaknesses in state, local, tribal and territorial networks. - Those weaknesses included limited segmentation, weak identity management and insufficient monitoring. - In multiple assessments, CISA personnel gained full network control within hours or days. - CISA recommended using human-readable paper ballots. - CISA also urged post-election manual audits of paper ballots to confirm voting systems function as intended and to identify errors before results are certified. - Tonsager’s position paper says Minnesota law allows counties to exceed minimum Post-Election Review requirements. - For Sherburne County’s size, the current practice samples only three precincts for a limited number of top races. - Tonsager proposed increasing the number of precincts reviewed in every general election. - Tonsager also proposed exploring additional races for manual audit where feasible. - His plan calls for more transparency through public observation and clear reporting. - Tonsager wants to work with the County Canvassing Board and state officials to incorporate stronger, risk-limiting audit principles consistent with CISA guidance. - The campaign said the proposal requires no new legislation.

Between the lines: - The campaign is using federal cybersecurity findings to argue that local election checks should be more expansive even when state rules are already being followed. - The proposal frames manual audits as a technical safeguard, not a partisan issue. - The message is aimed at voters who want more visible verification after ballots are counted.

What's next: - Tonsager said he would pursue larger post-election reviews if elected. - The campaign is asking county and state election officials to consider stronger audit practices. - Media inquiries and requests for the full position paper are directed to Michael Tonsager Campaign at michaeltonsager@sherburnecountyauditor.com or 763-412-6766. - The campaign website listed in the release is Sherburne County Auditor campaign site. - The release also points readers to a CISA-linked document at election integrity information.

The bottom line: - Tonsager wants Sherburne County to move from minimum post-election checks to broader manual audits intended to bolster confidence in election results.