ST. PAUL (AP) -- In a race without an incumbent, the election for secretary of state has largely faded into the background of Minnesota politics.

Reports say it's getting less attention than the high-profile races for governor and the U.S. Senate because it's the only general election ballot this year without an incumbent.

Republican Dan Severson is making his second attempt in running for secretary of state against State Representative Steve Simon, a democrat.

The major party candidates are heralding drastically different opinions about voting in Minnesota.

Severson wants to prevent voter fraud through identification, while Simon wants to make the process easier by creating a full-blown early voting system, like the ones in 33 other states.

Mark Ritchie, who was elected secretary of state in 2010, is not running for re-election.

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