>> Eric: AS WE JUST HEARD, DEMOCRACY AIN'T EASY.

BUT MAYBE IMPROV COMEDY CAN HELP?

THAT'S THE IDEA BEHIND DANGER BOAT PRODUCTIONS' STATEWIDE TOUR.

THEY'VE PARTNERED UP WITH THE MINNESOTA HUMANITIES CENTER TO BRING PEOPLE TOGETHER FOR OPEN CONVERSATION AND TURN THEIR HOPES AND CONCERNS INTO LIVE IMPROV.

WE'RE FOLLOWING ALONG AS PART OF TWIN CITIES PBS'S "VOICES RISING: STORIES FOR AMERICA'S 250TH INITIATIVE."

HERE'S A LOOK AT WHAT HAPPENED IN ALBERT LEA.

>> A FEW THEMES EMERGED QUICKLY DURING OUR VISIT TO ALBERT LEA IN FREEBORN COUNTY.

ONE, VOLUNTEERISM KEEPS THE COMMUNITY GOING.

>> I TRIED TO OLUNTEER.

I WAS PLANTING FLOWERS ON THE -- >> TWO, IT'S A CERTIFIED BLUE ZONE.

WHERE PEOPLE GENERALLY LIVE LONGER THAN AVERAGE.

>> ♪ I'M GOING TO LIVE TO 117 ♪ ♪ BLUE ZONE ♪ ♪ BLUE ZONE ♪ ♪ >> AND, THREE, PEOPLE HAVE LOTS OF FEELINGS ABOUT THE TOWN'S MAYO CAMPUS LOSING MANY OF ITS KEY SERVICES DUE TO CONSOLIDATION.

>> WELCOME TO FREEBORN COUNTY, I HOPE YOU'RE NOT PREGNANT.

>> THE SKETCHES OF FREEBORN COUNTY EVENT MIRROR THE DEMOCRATIC PROCESS, BRINGING PEOPLE FROM THE AREA TOGETHER TO TALK ABOUT ALL KINDS OF ISSUES THE COMMUNITIES ARE FACING.

>> OUR IMPROV CAST IS GOING TO BE COMING AROUND.

TELL THEM ALL THE THINGS, EVERYTHING YOU THINK THAT SOMEBODY SHOULD KNOW AND MAYBE THINGS YOU THINK PEOPLE SHOULDN'T KNOW, BUT IT'LL MAKE FOR A GOOD SHOW.

AND THEY ARE GOING TO BRING THOSE STORIES TO LIFE THROUGH ENTIRELY UNSCRIPTED IMPROV THEATER.

>> OKAY,ER SO GIVE ME SOME DETAILS.

I WANT TO HEAR SOME DETAILS.

>> THEY HAVE THIS KI SHOW UP THERE.

A LOT OF YOUNG PEOPLE PARTICIPATE.

>> HERE ARE SOME OF THE THINGS YOU GOT TO SEE.

>> I'M REALLY PROUD BECAUSE I WAS PART OF A SCULPTURE WALK IN OUR COMMUNITY, AND SO WE HAVE I THINK 12 AROUND AND THEY'RE ALL PRETTY WALKABLE TO EACH OTHER.

>> YOU CAN WALK AROUND BOYD.

WE JUST LOVE THAT.

>> THEN THE CAST COMPARED NOTES.

>> THEY WANT THIS TO BE AN ART SCENE.

THEY WANT TO SEE THE BLUE ZONES EXPAND EXPAND TO REALLY FOCUS ON THE IDEA OF BELONGING AND COMMUNITY.

>> COMMUNITY COLLEGE FOR FREE, KIND OF ONE OF THOSE HIDDEN THINGS, GEMS THAT PEOPLE NEED TO KNOW MORE ABOUT.

THEY DON'T HAVE UBER.

THEY JUST HAVE ALAN THE GUY.

>> NO BOWLING ALLEY.

THEY USED TO HAVE A BOWLING ALLEY.

THEY'RE SAD ABOUT MAYO BECAUSE IT'S ONLY A CLINIC, SO YOU CAN'T HAVE A BABY HERE, YOU CAN'T HAVE PROCEDURES.

YOU HAVE TO DRIVE HALF AN HOUR TO OWATONNA OR AUSTIN.

>> AND THEN IT WAS SHOW TIME.

>> THE IMPROVISED PERFORMANCE OF SKETCHES OF FREEBORN COUNTY!

[ Cheers and applause ] >> I AM SO GLAD HAT I MOVED HERE AS A RETIREE.

BECAUSE I THOUGHT I WAS GOING TO RELAX.

I AM BUSY EVERY SINGLE NIGHT!

>> I KNOW!

I KNOW!

WE HAVE GOT WIND-DOWN WEDNESDAYS, MUSIC ON THURSDAYS.

YOU KNOW WHAT?

IT'S BECAUSE WE'RE A BLUE ZONE.

WE LIVE SO LONG THAT THERE'S SO MUCH TO DO.

>> I ALSO MOVED HERE AS A RETIREE FOR THE WOMEN.

>> ME TOO AND >> ♪ WELL, I THINK WE SHOULD BUY A HOSPITAL ♪ ♪ >> NOW YOU'RE TALKING.

[ Laughter ] >> OU RIDE A GOOD SEAT.

>> YEAH.

>> BUT ARE YOU A COUNTY SEAT?

AND NOW THE RACE FOR THE COUNTY SEAT IS ABOUT TO BEGIN.

WE HAVE ALBERT LEA AS THE WINNER!

>> YES, A FATEFUL HORSE RACE IS THE REASON ALBERT LEA BECAME THE SEAT OF FREEBORN COUNTY.

BUT THE CITY AS NAMED FOR AN ENGINEER.

LEE SURVEYED MUCH OF SOUTHERN MINNESOTA IN THE 1830s, LONG BEFORE STATE HOOD.

HE BECAME AN ENGINEER FOR THE CONFEDERATE ARMY WHILE HIS SON FOUGHT FOR THE UNION.

LEE'S MORTALLY WOUNDED SON DIED IN HIS ARMS DURING THE BATTLE OF G GALVESTON ANY WHICH BOTH FOUGHT FOR OPPOSING SIDES.

A STATUE OF A UNION SOLD ANSWER TANDS TALL AND WHILE THE CITY HAS DEBATED A NAME CHANGE, FOR NOW IT REMAINS.

WE CAUGHT UP WITH A COUPLE OF ATTENDEES INCLUDING BOB FERNELIUSLAND.

THE CITY'S LONG HASTERY OF CIVIC ENGAGEMENT IS ON FULL DISPLAY HERE.

>> IT'S BEEN REALLY FUN BECAUSE PEOPLE COME BACK.

AND THEY HAVE STORIES ABOUT THE SCHOOLS.

AND OTHER BUILDINGS IN THE VILLAGE.

SO I THINK IT REALLY REPRESENTS WHAT FREEBORN COUNTY USED TO BE.

>> BOB ENJOYED THE IMPROV, BUT NOT AS MUCH AS HE APPRECIATED DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVES ABOUT THE PLACE HE HAS LIVED FOR DECADES.

>> I'D REALLY LIKE TO FIND OUT WHAT OTHER COMMUNITY PEOPLE SAID WE NEEDED.

AND IT WAS SO GOOD TO BE AT A PLACE WHERE IT WAS SO UPBEAT AND POSITIVE ABOUT OUR COMMUNITY.

>> WE ALSO VISITED THE FARMERS' MARKET.

TO CATCH UP WITH ALBERT LEA'S FORMER MAYOR GENE EATON WHO NOW HEADS THE -- SHE'S A STRONG PROPONENT OF THE AREA.

>> IT'S A WONDERFUL PLACE FOR SENIORS AS YOU SAW LAST NIGHT.

THERE ARE SO MANY THINGS TO DO.

WE'RE A COMMUNITY OF VOLUNTEERING, HELPING OTHERS.

BUT IT'S ALSO A GREAT COMMUNITY TO RAISE YOUR FAMILY.

AND PEOPLE MAY NOT REALIZE IT, BUT YOUNG PEOPLE DO MOVE BACK HERE.

IT'S A VIBRANT PLACE WITH OUR LAKES, OUR DOWNTOWN, OUR MANY, MANY EVENTS.

IT'S A GREAT PLACE TO RAISE A FAMILY OR TO RETIRE.

>> JEAN AGREES THAT OPEN CONVERSATION WAS THE STAR OF THE IMPROV SHOW.

EVEN WHEN IT CAME TO DIFFICULT ISSUES.

>> WE STILL HAVE SOME DIVISIVENESS WITH OUR HEALTHCARE, PRO, CON, A LOT OF MAYO SIGHTINGS WE'RE TALKING ABOUT LAST NIGHT, BUT THOUGHT IT WAS SO POSITIVE.

>> AS THE CITY OF ALBERT LEA CELEBRATES THE 250TH ANNIVERSARY OF NATION HOOD, CIVIC ENGAGEMENT HERE IS STRONG, AND WHAT COULD BE MORE IMPORTANT TO A THRIVING DEMOCRACY THAN A COMMUNITY COMMITTED TO MOVING ITSELF FORWARD, ESPECIALLY THROUGH THE STRUGGLE?

[ Applause ] ♪♪ >> CATHY: FIVE STATES HELD THEIR PRIMARY ELECTIONS THIS WEEK, AND MINNESOTA IS SET TO HAVE OUR OWN NEXT TUESDAY.

THE NOVEMBER MIDTERMS WILL BE HERE BEFORE WE KNOW IT, AND ALL OF THESE ELECTIONS ARE SET AGAINST A BACKDROP OF OFTEN PARTISAN BATTLES OVER THE INTEGRITY OF OUR VOTING SYSTEMS.

CASE IN POINT, OUR OWN COUCH WAS HOST TO A GUBERNATORIAL DEBATE LAST WEEK WHERE TWO CANDIDATES MADE SEVERAL QUESTIONABLE CLAIMS ABOUT HOW OUR STATE'S ELECTIONS ARE CONDUCTED AND ALLEGATIONS OF FRAUD IN THE PAST.

THIS WEEK, WE WANT TO SET THE RECORD STRAIGHT, SO WE'VE INVITED JOE MANSKY TO JOIN US TONIGHT.

HE IS A FORMER STATE ELECTION DIRECTOR AND WAS ALSO AN ELECTION MANAGER FOR RAMSEY COUNTY.

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR JOINING US.

WHO KNOWS MORE ABOUT ELECTIONS THAN MOST PEOPLE IN THE STATE OF MINNESOTA.

GOOD TO SEE YOU.

>> NICE TO BE HERE AGAIN.

>> Cathy: HANKS.

THE TWO CANDIDATES TALKED ABOUT DEAD PEOPLE VOTING, UNDOCUMENTED PEOPLE VOTING.

FELONS VOTING.

WHAT DO YOU WANT TO START?

>> WELL, LET'S TAKE THE DEAD PEOPLE.

WE GET ON A REGULAR BASIS -- WE, I'M SPEAKING OF COURSE IN THE PAST -- THAT ELECTION OFFICIALS GET ON A REGULAR BASIS THROUGH THE SECRETARY OF STATE, FROM THE STATE HEALTH DEPARTMENT, THE DEATH CERTIFICATES OF THE PEOPLE WHO PASS AWAY.

AND WHEN I WAS AT RAMSEY COUNTY, I ALSO HAD MY STAFF CHECK THE "PIONEER PRESS" AND THE "STAR RIBUNE" OBITUARIES EVERY WEEK.

SO THE IDEA THAT THERE ARE A LOT OF DEAD PEOPLE ON THE, YOU KNOW, AS PART OF THE OTER REGISTRATION SYSTEM, IS COMPLETELY UNTRUE.

AS FAR AS THE, YOU KNOW, THE CONVICTED FELONS, I WAS ON GOVERNOR DAYTON'S ELECTION INTEGRITY COMMISSION A FEW YEARS BACK, AND ONE OF THE RECOMMENDATIONS WE MADE WAS,