Buttigeg, Schlapp speak with KIMT ahead of the election

KIMT talks with Pete Buttigeg and Mercedes Schlapp as they push for their candidates before the election.

Before they cast their ballots./// first tonight: in just over twenty?

"*four hours... polling locations will close... and voters will have sealed the fate of candidates across the nation.

Some national voices are speaking out as we approach the final hours of campaign season.

Kimt news three's anthony monzon is live outside the olmsted county elections office.

Anthony?

Katie... george... for weeks voters have been filing into this building... the olmsted county elections office... to cast their ballots early.

But as of one hour ago... the doors shut... and voters must wait until tomorrow... election day... to vote.

Officials in both minnesota and iowa say they've received a record number of absentee ballots this year.

In these final hours, top campaign surrogates are reaching out to local voters.

This afternoon i spoke with former south bend indiana mayor pete buttigieg and senior trump campaign advisor mercedes schlapp... who made the case for joe biden and president trump respectively.

Each believe their candidate is bespped to he coronavirus pandemic and mitigate its impact on the economy.

Schlapp and buttigieg also weighed in on a recent court ruling which will see absentee ballots received after election day, separated.

That's in case a future order makes them invalid.

"well it's disappointing, and you gotta ask yourself, 'why would the republican party be in court to make it harder for minnesotans to have their votes counted?'

Especially mail?

"* in ballots.

You know, i served in the military overseas, that was how i got my ballot in.

And a lot of troops deployed will not have their votes counted if some of these lawsuits get their way.

We're the party that wants everybody to vote."

"for us it's always been about election integrity.

It's ensuring that every voter can vote once, and that obviously that they follow the state?

"*level requirements.

Tht is critical for our campaign, it's what we believe in.

What we don't need is for the democrats to then now, as they've done with several of these states where they have fundimentally changed the voting system at the last minute.

Now they're looking to loosen the rules and try to play catch?

"* up if they're losing in certain states."

And before that ruling... state and federal courts granted elections officials in minnesota a seven?

"*day extension for counting absentee ballots as long as they had been postmarked by november third.

Live in rochester... thanks anthony.

Minnesota secretary of state steve simon is now urging residents to vote in person rather than risk their mail?

"* in ballot possibly being disqualified by a