League of Women Voters Minnesota Blog

Minnesota Primary Election Results - MN Secretary of State.

Towns and Counties Oppose the Voter Restriction Amendment

Thu, 25 Oct 2012 15:13:00 GMT

Since April of last year, 10 towns and two counties across Minnesota have come out against the voter restriction amendment. Here is a quick overview of local-level opposition to an amendment that would drastically change elections in Minnesota.

In April 2011, St. Louis County was the first in Minnesota to publicly oppose Voter ID restrictions, before the amendment was even on the ballot! More recently, Ramsey County came out in opposition to the amendment in a 6-1 vote earlier this month. The resolution noted that the amendment could cost the county “an estimated $1.25 million… and more than $25 million statewide.”

The town of Crystal became the first town to oppose the voter restriction amendment through a resolution on June 5, 2012. Since then, 9 other cities and towns have followed Crystal’s lead and passed resolutions opposing the amendment. The towns are: Golden Valley, Lauderdale, Minneapolis, Spring Grove, St. Louis Park, St. Paul, Edina, Northfield, and Cottage Grove.

While all of the towns have different and sometimes competing interests, they have come together to address similar concerns about the voter restriction amendment. Minneapolis notes that, “the amendment would end Election Day registration as we know it and create unknown difficulties for eligible voters who vote absentee and senior citizens, students, deployed military personnel, the poor, and minorities.” The St. Paul City Council notes that, “Minnesota has been the national leader in voter participation for the past four decades.”

The resolutions all end with a plea to Minnesotans: vote “no” on the proposed constitutional amendment to protect voting rights for all.

-Chris DiCesare

Pushing Back on Voter Restrictions

Tue, 23 Oct 2012 15:35:00 GMT

Across the nation, citizens and voting rights organizations are coming out to combat the wave of voter suppression activities and courts are engaging in more rigorous analysis of laws that make voting harder.

Such varied efforts are necessary to combat the continued attacks on voting rights. The New York Times reports that voting is getting more difficult nationwide due to reductions in early voting, tougher requirements for ex-felons to regain their right to vote, restrictions on voter registration by individuals and organizations such as League of Women Voters, and new voter ID laws.

In Milwaukee and Cleveland, billboards specifically targeting communities of color and low-income neighborhoods have been put up warning that voter fraud is a felony. It’s true (and maybe worth an occasional reminder), but these billboards seek to reduce voter turnout in the targeted communities. Each billboard states that it was “Paid for by a Private Family Foundation,” and Clear Channel Outdoor has refused to identify the client.

Milwaukee voting rights activists turned it around, using street-level action to support voting rights. Watch this engaging activity in a short clip by the Overpass Light Brigade.

In Cleveland, the push-back resulted in Clear Channel Outdoor agreeing to take down the signs and new billboards being put up proclaiming, “Voting is a right, not a crime!” The Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights Under the Law also paid for signs in Cleveland and Milwaukee saying, "Stand up and have your say -- Vote. When we vote, we are all equal."

Here in Minnesota, a multiracial, multicultural effort coined Voices for Voting Rights is speaking out against the voter restriction amendment. Video clips feature members of several communities--Somali, Latino, Hmong, American Indian and African-American. They speak passionately in both their native languages and English about the importance of voting and why they oppose the amendment.

--Sherri Knuth

Making it Harder to Vote: Stories from other States

Thu, 18 Oct 2012 17:09:00 GMT

The voter suppression amendment on the ballot this November will create undue hurdles for thousands of voters across Minnesota. Although it is unclear how many people will be affected by the amendment, stories from other states where photo ID laws have been implemented shed some light on the grim outlook for Minnesota elections if the voter suppression amendment were to pass.

During the primary election in Ohio earlier this year, Paul Carroll, an 86-year-old World War II veteran was unable to vote when he showed his veterans ID card. This card is valid at VA hospitals across the country and is issued by the federal government. Carroll was told that he must show a photo ID with his current address, which the veterans ID does not have. “My beef is that I had to pay a driver to take me up there because I don’t walk so well and have to use this cane and now I can’t even vote.”

In Indiana, 12 nuns were turned away from the polls by a fellow nun who was a poll worker because they did not have any form of photo ID. These nuns were unable to vote, even though some brought expired passports. They did not drive so they had no reason to carry a state-issued ID.

Al Star, a 59-year-old homeless man, was denied a free state-issued ID from the Department of Safety in Tennessee. He had lost his license and applied for an ID for the sole purpose of voting. He eventually called his Congressman and was able to obtain an ID after the Congressman’s staff intervened.

Angela Hiss, a college student at Notre Dame was turned away from the polls for only having a student ID and an out-of-state driver’s license. She had attempted to obtain a valid ID from a local motor vehicles office in Indiana, but they refused to accept her out-of-state license as proof of identification.

Disparate numbers of the elderly, veterans, homeless, and college students face hurdles in obtaining a valid state-issued ID. If the voter suppression amendment passes in Minnesota, will you be able to vote? Will your family members be able to vote?

-Chris DiCesare

CEIMN Addresses the Cost of the Proposed Elections Amendment

Wed, 10 Oct 2012 19:54:00 GMT

A study recently released by Citizens for Election Integrity Minnesota (CEIMN) addresses state, local, and individual costs associated with the voter suppression constitutional amendment before voters this November. Even Minnesotans who already have valid government-issued photo ID’s will experience costs as a result of the amendment.

Beginning with state government costs, CEIMN estimates the voter suppression amendment would cost between $9.95 million and 13.55 million over the first 4 years. Based on other states that have imposed voter suppression laws, public outreach campaigns to inform voters of new, unprecedented, changes to election law alone would cost upwards of $2 million. In Indiana, for example, public service announcements on radio and TV, and website modifications cost $2.2 million to reach 4.2 million voters over 4 years. CEIMN notes that with the minimum of $10 million that the state would spend implementing the amendment, the government could repair 85,900 potholes!

On the county level, the costs associated with the proposed amendment would vary based on the number of registered voters per county. The costs range from roughly $55,000 for smaller counties such as Pennington County to upwards of $2 million for larger counties such as Ramsey. Based on the language of the amendment, counties that currently rely on mail balloting may be forced to re-open polling places.

The amendment is expected to drastically alter Election Day Registration, a system used by over 500,000 voters in each of the past two presidential elections. Election Day Registration could be eliminated altogether or be altered to require internet connectivity so that poll workers are able to verify the voter’s eligibility with the Secretary of State’s database. When these costs to the counties are added together, CEIMN estimates that a new system would cost elections offices more than $25 million for new equipment if mail balloting were also eliminated. With $23 million, the state could hire 403 school teachers!

An individual without a valid photo ID would also face costs. If the individual lacked a certified copy of a birth certificate, the individual would pay at least $76.50, including transportation costs to become eligible to vote. There is, however, a problem; Minnesota law requires individuals to present a valid ID to obtain a birth certificate, and thus it would be expensive and time consuming to get around this catch-22.

The bottom line is that the voter suppression amendment is not free. In fact, it is an unfunded state mandate with far reaching consequences. The CEIMN study highlights a number of the hidden costs to our state, counties, towns, and individuals.

-Chris DiCesare

Media Round-Up

Wed, 22 Aug 2012 16:32:00 GMT

Election:

Minneapolis, St. Paul mayors oppose photo ID/ registration amendment - Star Tribune. August 20, 2012

MN Same Day Voter Registration Ruled Constituational - The Uptake. August 17, 2012

Klobucahr and Bills agree to end of election year debate - MPR. August 17, 2012

Secretary of State Ritchie encourages voters to register to vote at the Minnesota State Fair - Hometown Source (Coon Rapids). August 22, 2012

On your mark, get set, VOTE!

Tue, 14 Aug 2012 13:14:00 GMT

The Primary Election is TODAY, August 14. Polls are open 7am-8pm. Before you go and vote, check your polling place because it might have changed with redistricting this year.

When voting in a Primary Election remember:

You MUST vote strictly along ONE PARTY LINE
If you vote for more than one party on your ballot, YOUR BALLOT WILL NOT BE COUNTED
You do NOT have to vote for everything on the ballot
You are ALLOWED to REGISTER TO VOTE ON ELECTION DAY

If you are looking to register to vote on Election Day, be sure to check out the Secretary of State’s website to figure out what you need to bring with you.

Minnesota traditionally ranks very high throughout the United States for voter turnout. Be sure you let your voice be heard and vote on August 14 and November 6.

Every year the League puts together a non-partisan, online Voter Guide. We email the candidates running for office a questionnaire; then post the results online. In October the League of Women Voters Minnesota in conjunction with Target, put out a paper Voter Guide. This contains information on the candidates running for US House and US Senate. The Paper Voter Guide will be available for pick-up in your local Target stores.

Happy Anniverary to the Voting Rights Act

Mon, 06 Aug 2012 22:48:00 GMT

Today marks the 47th anniversary of the signing of the historic Voting Rights Act. Since the last was signed by President Lyndon Johnson, the VRA has been necessary to ensure that citizens’ voting rights are protected and that the right to vote truly is guaranteed for all eligible Americans.

But instead of celebrating, LWV Minnesota is marking this anniversary with a commitment to vigilance. We are watching attempts in states across the country to not just undermine the spirit and intent of the VRA, but to overturn it altogether. NPR covers the legal threats to the VRA, particularly the efforts of Texas, Arizona, and Florida to challange the core component of the law known as pre-clearance, which requires governments that have had a history of discriminatory practices in their elections to any changes to their election laws pre-cleared by the Department of Justice.

The principles of the VRA are not just being attacked in the Deep South. We are seeing it right here in Minnesota, with the efforts to write a requirement into the state’s constitution that would limit the right to vote by requiring a valid, government-issued identification card before voting, making it difficult if not impossible for some voters to cast their ballot.

If this passes, it would be the first time that our Constitution has been amended to limit, not expand the right to vote. And Minnesota is not alone. Voter photo ID laws were considered in 34 states in 2011.

Some question whether or not voter ID is a serious threat to the right to vote. Doesn’t everyone have an ID? The answer is no. It is estimated that 11 percent of the population does not have the type of identification required by these laws. Especially impacted are the elderly, people with disabilities, low-income voters and young people. Catch our former LWV Minnesota Executive Director Keesha Gaskins on Bill Moyers addressing this issue, and how voter ID laws represent the worst kind of politics.

This is the most serious threat to the right to vote for a generation. The anniversary of the Voting Rights Act should serve as a reminder of just how hard fought the right to vote was for us, and ensure that we are doing what we can to make sure that it is guaranteed for the next generation.

Primary Election is Coming up Soon!

Wed, 01 Aug 2012 18:23:00 GMT

Happy first day of August! Do you know what the means? The Minnesota Primary Election is just two weeks away. This year the Primary Election is on Tuesday, August 14. Polls are open 7am to 8pm.

With redistricting this year, your polling place may have changed. You should have recieved a new polling place postcard from your county within the past few weeks. If you never recieved on or misplaced it, you can check on your polling place online.

Register to Vote

Tue, 26 Jun 2012 16:52:00 GMT

Make sure you are ready for this year’s election season. Register to vote!

To vote in Minnesota, you need to:

will be at least 18-years-old on Election Day
are a citizen of the United States
will have resided in Minnesota for 20 days immediately preceding Election Day
have any felony conviction record discharged, expired, or completed
are not under court-ordered guardianship where a court has revoked your voting rights
have not been ruled legally incompetent by a court of law

Registering before Election Day
You may register to vote by completing a Voter Registration Application and submitting it by mail or in-person to your local election official. Find contact information for your county elections official by using the Election Official Directory.

Once you're registered, you will receive a postcard with information about where you vote (your polling place) and your name will appear on the list of voters at your polling place. It takes some time to put the list together, so if you haven't registered at least 21 days before the election, you can register at the polling place on Election Day.

Registering on Election Day
If you are `not registered to vote or need to update your registration information, you may do so at your local polling location on Election Day as long as you can provide proof of residence.

To learn more about registering on Election Day, visit the Secretary of State's Registering to Vote page.

Information taken from the Elections and Voting page of the Minnesota Secretary of State website.

Get Ready for Absentee Voting

Tue, 26 Jun 2012 16:24:00 GMT

If you are unable to vote in the Primary Election on August 14 , you can register to receive an absentee ballot. Starting next week you can begin to receive your absentee ballots in mail.

In Minnesota, you are allowed to vote by absentee ballot due to:

Absence from your precinct
Illness or disability
Serving as an election judge in another precinct
Religious discipline or observance of religious holiday
Eligible emergency declared by the governor or quarantine declared by the federal or state government

There are two ways to vote by absentee ballot: in person and by mail.

In Person Absentee Voting
You may cast an absentee ballot in person, at your county auditor's office. This option is available on weekdays during business hours. In addition, the county auditor's office must be open for absentee balloting from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on the Saturday before the election (August 11) and until 5 p.m. on the day before the election (August 13). Contact your county auditor for more information (find contact information using the Election Official Directory).

Absentee Voting by Mail
In order to vote absentee by mail, you need to complete an Absentee Ballot Application and submit it to your local election official by mail, fax, or email (print off the application, sign it, scan it, and attach to an email as a .pdf). Your ballot will be sent to you when it is ready - at least 46 days prior to the election if you applied for an absentee ballot in advance. If you apply for an absentee ballot within 46 days of the election, your ballot will arrive within a day or two of your application being received.

*Information taken from the Elections and Voting page of the Minnesota Secretary of State website.

LWV Minnesota Files as Lead Plaintiff in Petition Challenging Voter ID Ballot Language

Thu, 31 May 2012 13:03:00 GMT

LWV Minnesota is the lead plaintiff in a lawsuit filed today in the Minnesota Supreme Court seeking to strike the Voter ID/Elections amendment from the November ballot. The overly-simplified question as written by the Legislature omits key details of the proposed amendment, misleading voters on the full nature of the constitutional changes that would be made if it were to pass.

Joining LWV Minnesota in filing the petition was ACLU-Minnesota, Common Cause Minnesota, Jewish Community Action, and five individual plaintiffs who are Minnesota voters and do not know how the proposed amendment may affect their right to vote. The plaintiffs include a 92-year old disabled nun, two students, a homeless Native American woman, and a member of the National Guard currently serving our country in Afghanistan.

“For decades the League of Women Voters has been a trusted name for election integrity and voting information,” said LWV Minnesota President Stacy Doepner-Hove in today’s press conference. “We are here today bringing this suit, because the ballot question as it is written is a violation of our mission for clear and transparent elections.”

In our petition, we identify four key facts that are either omitted or obscured by the ballot question.

The question posed to the voters differs from the language of the actual amendment as to which voters would be required to show identification.
The question on the ballot asks if voters should show valid ID, but the amendment passed by the Legislature requires that the ID be a government-issued ID.
The question does not state that all voters would need to undergo “substantially equivalent eligibility and verification standards. “This phrase was not clearly defined in the Legislative debate it is uncertain how this would impact same-day registration, absentee voting, and mail-in voting.
The actual amendment would put a system of provisional ballots in Minnesota’s Constitution. This is not referenced anywhere in the ballot question.

"We know that voters in Minnesota take their vote seriously,” stated Doepner-Hove. “By leaving vital details off of the ballot question, the Legislature is depriving Minnesota voters of information that they need to cast an informed vote on this critical constitutional amendment.”

Attorneys in the case are: William Pentelovitch, Richard Wilson, Justin Perl, Wayne Moskowitz, Alain Baudry and Catherine Ahlin-Halverson of Maslon Edelman Borman & Brand, LLP and Jon Sherman and Laughlin McDonald of the ACLU Voting Rights Project, and Teresa Nelson of the ACLU of Minnesota.

Statement of Stacy Doepner-Hove Regarding LWV' Minnesota's Challenge to the Misleading Voting Amendment Ballot Proposal

Wed, 30 May 2012 18:57:00 GMT

For decades the League of Women Voters has been a trusted name for election integrity and voting information. We are here today bringing this suit, because the ballot question as it is written is a violation of our mission for clear and transparent elections. The question that is being put on the ballot is simply not a fair or accurate reflection of the changes that the amendment would make to Minnesota’s Constitution.

Nowhere in the ballot question does it say that provisional ballots will be constitutionally-mandated in our elections. Nowhere in the ballot question does it say that every voter will be required to undergo “substantially-equivalent verification standards” which may effectively eliminate same-day registration. Nowhere in the ballot question does it define the types of identification that we would be required to show in order to exercise our fundamental right to vote if this passes.

The question and the amendment are silent on the process that a voter would have to undergo to obtain one of the so-called free IDs talked about in the question. The Legislature simply chose not to address this critical question, leaving it to future Legislatures to define, and possibly redefine time and again, what a voter will have to do before they can cast their ballot in an election. As you have heard from some of our fellow plaintiffs, these are all critical issues for voters when they weigh the merits of this proposed constitutional amendment.

We know that voters in Minnesota take their vote seriously. LWV Minnesota brings nearly a century of non-partisan experience to the work of helping to make sure that Minnesota voters are able to get information that is accurate and balanced before going to the polls. By leaving vital details off of the ballot question, the Legislature is depriving Minnesota voters of information that they need to cast an informed vote on this critical constitutional amendment.

Protecting the right to vote and the integrity of our elections deserves more than campaign slogans. We call on the Courts to ensure that this misleading question is not put before voters this November. We are proud to stand with the ACLU, Common Cause, Jewish Community Action, and the voters of Minnesota in challenging this misleading ballot question.

Montanta and Other States Go Against Citizens United

Tue, 29 May 2012 17:04:00 GMT

Minnesota is one of 22 states that is backing Montana’s stand against Citizens United. Montana has a state law that restricts corporate spending for campaigns. Back in 2010 when the Supreme Court ruled in favor of Citizens United Montana’s law was deemed as void. The states that are supporting Montana in this movement are asking that the Supreme Court preserve and allow the Montana law. They asked that the Supreme Court let Montana’s law stand or hold a full hearing so that the issue could be brought to the light and discussed.

The states support Montana were also interest in supporting changes made to Citizens United that would allow for the state law. It is highly unlikely that the Supreme Court would change the ruling on Citizens United or make changes to the ruling.

Support for Montana’s law is continuing to grow. There are now two US Senators signed on as well as 22 states. The Supreme Court is expected to respond during the month of June.

Follow the Unlimited Money - Sunlight Foundation

Media Rouhd-Up

Wed, 09 May 2012 16:25:00 GMT

Campaign Finance

Election Integrity

Voter ID: Election Security vs. Ballot Access - Northland's News Center. May 7, 2012

The Minnsota Voter ID Fraud - MinnPost. April 18, 2012

Mike Dean: Voter ID -- what lurks in Minnesota's proposed amendment - Pioneer Press. April 27, 2012

ALEC Drops Public Safety and Elections Task Force

Wed, 18 Apr 2012 19:45:00 GMT

By Catherine Menick

According to a Minnpost article, the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) “announced on Tuesday that it was suspending the activities of its public-safety and elections task force, which generated controversial model voter ID and ‘shoot-first’ bills.” ALEC is a key player in the design of voter ID legislation which has been introduced in numerous states nationwide, including Minnesota.

ALEC changed its priorities in response to several major corporations that have withdrawn membership over the last week. The exodus of support is reportedly due to ALEC’s connection with the NRA-backed ‘shoot first’ legislation which is tied to the highly controversial death of Trayvon Martin.

Equal Pay for Equal Work? A Work in Progress

Wed, 18 Apr 2012 16:18:00 GMT

The Equal Pay Act is coming up on it's 50th birthday; however women are still not making equal pay for equal work. Women make up nearly half of the work force, yet they are no where near to making half of the money. Secretary of Labor, Hilda Solis, released a statement today stating:

"Pay equity is not simply a question of fairness; it is an economic imperative with serious implications not just for women, but for their families, their communities and our nation. Moreover, when women start at a disadvantage, they stay there."

While the Department of Labor has taken steps to closing the pay gap, they do recognize that there is still work to be done.

LWV Minnesota Statement at Press Conference Announcing Our Vote Our Future

Wed, 18 Apr 2012 16:11:00 GMT

Presented April 12, 2012

Good morning. My name is Laura Fredrick Wang and I am the Executive Director of the League of Women Voters Minnesota. We are pleased to stand here today and welcome Our Vote Our Future to the ongoing fight for voting rights and to the effort to the defeat the proposed amendment that that would alter our election system.

LWV Minnesota has been doing this work for a long time. We were founded in 1920 after a 70 year effort to amend our nation’s Constitution to expand the franchise, to include more voices in our democracy. The right to vote is a fundamental right of citizens that must be guaranteed. The writers of our Constitution talked about forming a more perfect union; subsequent generations have rightfully interpreted that to mean opening up the process to more participation in our democracy. We’ve come a long way since the 18^th century. This proposed amendment turns back that progress and would be the first time that our Constitution was amended to make it harder to participate in our elections.

In the months ahead, LWV Minnesota will redouble our efforts to educate voters on the problems with this proposed amendment. We will be telling the stories of real voters who have voted for decades who would be harmed by this proposal; of senior citizens as well as new voters; of homeless veterans who will be denied the ballot. We will explain the impact this amendment would have on our proud tradition of high voter turnout and civic engagement in Minnesota. We will work very hard to help people understand why this proposal does not belong in our Constitution.

The list of organization that care about this issue is quickly expanding as the word spreads: this voter ID amendment is far more than a simple photo ID at the polls, with ramifications for election day registration, absentee balloting and mail-in voting. We are ready for the work that needs to be done in the months ahead to defeat this proposed amendment.

Protect Your Vote by Protecting the Air

Wed, 04 Apr 2012 16:30:00 GMT

Last week the Environmental Protection Agency unveiled their new standards to help decrease carbon pollution. These new standards will go into effect on all power plants that will be built in the future. The EPA is encouraging that power plants use new technology to help meet these standards which lower carbon emissions. While these standards are going to affect all new power plants, they will not have an effect on previously existing power plants.

At the national level, the League of Women Voters are taking actions to promote clean air legislation and initiatives; as well as support the EPA. LWV has begun to create an online list of those who support their actions and take the Clean Air Promise. The Clean Air Promise encourages people to support clean air policies and to think about the effects that pollution has on people.

Why am I writing today about the EPA and carbon pollution when normally I write about voter ID or redistricting? I am writing because the environment needs us and we need it. If we protect our planet, we protect our vote. However, if we risk the health of our planet we endanger our right to vote. We can only vote so long as there is a place here which gives us that right.

Please protect your vote and take the Clean Air Promise today.

Take Control of Your Professional Development

Tue, 03 Apr 2012 19:40:00 GMT

Here at LWV Minnesota you know we are passionate about voting right, citizen engagement and educating Minnesota about the issues facing our local communities, state and nation as a whole. As part of that work, we recognize the importance of having women leading in all those efforts. To help fulfill that goal, we run the Leaders of Today and Tomorrow Fellows Program which brings together 10 diverse women for intensive leadership development. (We'll begin recruiting for the 2013 program in a couple of weeks so watch this space!) As part of the Fellows Program, they work together on a group project to implement the skills they are learning through the fellowship. This year’s Fellows Group wanted to provide some of the great training they receive to a larger audience. As such, they are hosting "Investing in Your Talents" an evening with amazing women who have inspirational stories and useful tips for you to build upon your skills.

We invite you to join us on April 19th. More details can be found here.

Allie Wagstrom

Voter ID Proponents, Prepare to Eat (Jim) Crow

Wed, 28 Mar 2012 20:02:00 GMT

by Catherine Menick

Where did the notion of “voter fraud” come from, and how did it get in the national spotlight?

“The ‘marketplace of ideas’ is a frequently-used metaphor that suggests that the ‘best’ ideas survive on their own merit,” Daily Kos member LeoT writes. “But if the very existence of the idea of ‘voter fraud’ is entirely due to marketing and spin doctoring then we, and especially the media, need to be very careful in our use of it. It also means we need to be highly skeptical about attempts by legislators to prevent ‘voter fraud’ through the passage of voter ID laws.”

Looking at several phrases - “electoral fraud”, “election fraud”, “vote fraud”, and “voter fraud” - LeoT found evidence that the term “voter fraud” is recent and intentional. The phrase did not exist until the late 1950s and its usage increased steadily and exponentially after the Voting Rights Act passed in 1965. The other three phrases had extremely similar patterns of use over time, with normal peaks and valleys. Furthermore, in the early 2000s, “voter fraud” surpassed the use of the significantly more common “vote fraud.”

This points to a concerted effort to tie electoral fraud to minorities. “If ‘voter fraud’ had been trumpeted as a problem in the mid-1960s,” LeoT states, “the public would have immediately seen it for the sham that it was…This little concept, so similar to ‘vote fraud’, has become the justification for making it difficult for the ‘wrong kind’ of people to cast a ballot.”

Judge Issues Permanent Injuction Against WI Voter ID Law

Thu, 15 Mar 2012 19:52:00 GMT

by Jennifer Nelson

"A government that undermines the very foundation of its existence - the people's inherent, pre-constitutional right to vote - imperils its legitimacy as a government by the people, for the people, and especially of the people. It sows the seeds for its own demise as a democratic institution. This is precisely what 2011 Wisconsin Act 23 does with its photo ID mandates."

Those were the words written by Dane County Circuit Judge Richard Niess in his decision issuing a permanent injunction against Wisconsin’s new voter photo ID law. In his eight page ruling on the case, brought against the state by the League of Women Voters Wisconsin, Judge Niess determined that the voter photo ID law did not fall into any of the five specific categories over which the Wisconsin state constitution gives the government authority to enact laws regulating voting rights. It is therefore unconstitutional.

Here are some more excerpts from the decision:

“Herein lies the fatal flaw in defendants’ legislative-authority-trumps constitutional-qualifications argument. The people’s fundamental right of suffrage preceded and gave birth to our Constitution (the sole source of the legislature’s so-called ’plenary authority’), not the other way around.

“The right to vote belongs to all Wisconsin citizens who are qualified electors, not just the fortunate majority for whom Act 23 poses little obstacle at the polls.

Accordingly, while the legislature and governor are constitutionally accorded broad authority to police fraud in elections, including through criminal and civil penalties, their power, like all police power, ends at the precise point where it transgresses the fundamental voting rights of Wisconsin citizens.”

“Without question, where it exists, voter fraud corrupts elections and undermines our form of government. The legislature and governor may certainly take aggressive action to prevent its occurrence. But voter fraud is no more poisonous to our democracy than voter suppression. Indeed, they are two heads on the same monster.”

The full text of the decision can be found here.

Wisconsin’s law differs from Minnesota’s substantially as it was enacted as a legislative statute as opposed to a constitutional amendment. The judge’s words ring true nonetheless and make an eloquent and compelling case about the dangers of restricting voter rights.

The Pew Center: Voter Registration and Modernization

Wed, 07 Mar 2012 20:30:00 GMT

The Pew Center on the States recently released a report, “Inaccurate, Costly and Inefficient,” that identifies a number of inefficiencies in America’s current voter registration system and proposes ways in which states could not only improve the process, but see substantial cost savings as well.

Unfortunately, much of the discussion that followed the release of this report chose to focus on a few individual statistics, rather than the study’s overall conclusion and recommendation: the pressing need for modernization of our current voter registration process.

The study makes three recommendations to modernize voter registration systems. Notably, the State of Minnesota has already implemented two of the three recommendations, and the LWV supports the third.

Media Round-Up: Redistricting

Wed, 29 Feb 2012 16:17:00 GMT

Redrawn maps shake up Minnesota's political landscape - Star Tribune. February 22, 2012

Map: Redistricting Minnesota - MPR. February 21, 2012

Bachman shifts House districits with new Minnesota congressional map - The Hill. February 21, 2012

Minnesota needs a better way of drawing its political maps - MPR. February 28, 2012

Minnesota auditor calls for more transparency

Mon, 27 Feb 2012 14:36:00 GMT

Minnesota’s state auditor has issued a report and spoken in favor of increased transparency around Minnesota’s state cost estimates. The report recommends improving the state’s fiscal note system and calls for a more transparent process. While the state auditor says the system needs major improvements, at the fundamental level it is still a good system.

Over time the process of estimating cost has become more informal to the point where it skips the fiscal note process. Instead of creating and publishing documents which the public can view, cost estimates are circulated in the legislature. This lack of transparency can cause issues for lawmakers at the state and local levels and public when it comes to estimating the cost of a bill

Even in the current system of fiscal notes (when it is being used) still has flaws in. For those legislators who go through the official fiscal notes process there are still mistakes in the estimates. The report taken found that about 1 out of every 5 (or 20%) had some level of error in the estimated cost. Often times this error was a very small amount of money, but a few times there were million dollar errors.

The report calls for more transparency to the data that goes into the projected cost for fiscal notes. There should also be changes made to making the notes clearer and easier to understand. The state budget director has said that her office is working on making the changes to the issues the report brought up.

Netweaving- the Newest Way to Network

Wed, 15 Feb 2012 16:49:00 GMT

Netweaving is one of the newest terms when it comes to networking. It allows for individuals to network but in a speed-dating format. When it comes to networking, first impressions are very important. In netweaving, you have two and half minutes to make that impression before it is time to move on.

This new networking trend was seen at a YWCA’s Women’s Leadership Program event in Sioux Falls. There were 24 young women who were active in this service organization; they met with 24 Sioux Falls business women. Rather than face the sometimes intimidating task of going up to an individual to try and network with them; netweaving allowed for this to happen a little easier.

Mentees of the YWCA’s Women’s Leadership Program sat across a table from one of the business women. They were able to get to know each other some. The mentees were able to ask a few questions, there was an exchange of business cards and handshakes, and then the bell dinged signifying it was time to move to the next chair.

This type of session can help the young women improve their networking skills and build their networks. The mentees interviewed stated how much they liked this style of networking because it took off some of the pressure that other large networking events may have. This type of networking also forced the young women to be concise when making their introduction and asking their questions. While netweaving has not replaced the typical networking events, it is a new style of networking that is continuing to grow in popularity.

Waging war on the poor on Page B7 of Tuesday, JanuaryÂ 10,Â 2012 issue of The Virginian-Pilot

Media Round-Up: Redisctricting

Mon, 13 Feb 2012 16:09:00 GMT

Minneapolis redistricting group to create 'minority ward' - MinnPost.com. February 9, 2012

City redistricting heats up; U area to be redrawn - Minnesota Daily. February 2, 2012

Grass roots election process to begin - Coon Rapids Herold. February 4, 2012

Redistricting talks fall short - Star Tribune. February 2, 2012

In just over a week the new district lines will be reviled. Come Tuesday, February 21 the new district maps will come out. The district maps will be produced by a non-partisan committee of five judges.

An issue that has come up from the February 21 release date is the fact that caucuses were held on February 7. That means that the caucuses held will not geographically represent where the new districts will be. This has put off the organization of conventions with the caucus delegates because the districts are not known that this point.

by Reba Bisciglia

2012 LOTT Fellows and Upcoming Leadership Opportunites

Wed, 08 Feb 2012 21:03:00 GMT

This past weekend we held the first workshop of our 2012 Leaders of Today and Tomorrow Fellows Program. It is always an exciting day filled with hope for where women’s leadership is going and what we will be able to accomplish together. This year’s Mentors and Fellows represent cross-section of Minnesotans. We have young women energized to develop leadership strategies and find their path in their professional life. We have experience professionals giving of their time to someone who wants to improve. Mentorship is a two way street and our Mentors will get as much out of this experience as our Fellows.

As part of the Fellows program, they are working together on a group project. In the past our Fellows have focused on women in the arts and assisting women’s shelters. This year our 2012 Fellows will be focusing on helping other women identify and achieve success in their professional life. As part of our Leadership Series, the 2012 Fellows will be hosting an event on Thursday, April 19^th. The details will be worked out and shared with all.

I hope you will attend the first part of our Leadership Series, “Mission Possible: Don’t Let Insecurities Sabotage Your Job Search” on February 28^th from 7:00-8:30pm. Our panel includes Stacy Doepner-Hove – LWVMN President, Director of the Master's Program in Human Resources and Industrial Relations at University of Minnesota Carlson School of Management; Sally McGraw – Already Pretty Blogger/Body Image Writer; Mishel Horta – Diversity Coordinator at Robins, Kaplan, Miller & Ciresi L.L.P.; and Abigail Lessnau - HR Generalist at Cummins Power Generation. Diane Tran - Project Manager at Grassroots Solutions, Former LWVMN Board Member, and LOTT AC Member will serve as the moderator.

Early Bird registration for this event is only $5.00 but that offer expires on February 20^th.

Allie Wagstrom

People are talking about Voter ID

Sat, 14 Jan 2012 03:34:00 GMT

Here are some new links to articles discussing Voter ID. The first is a Leonard Pitts op-ed the second is an article in the AARP Bulletin. People are talking about this issue and are asking what we think.

http://pubs.aarp.org/aarpbulletin/201201_DC/?pg=20&pm=2&u1=friend

NEW! Leaders of Today and Tomorrow (LOTT) Leadership Series

Thu, 12 Jan 2012 18:20:00 GMT

The following was prepared by Rashanda Bruce, board chair and co-chair of LWVMN's Leaders of Today and Tomorrow (LOTT) Committee. RSVP today by clicking here!

LOTT is preparing to host its first Leadership Series. Instead of LOTT hosting its annual conference this year, we have decided to take the idea of a "breakout session" and host it on a weeknight. In doing this, we are able to draw in more attendees who may not be able to attend the conference, as well as draw more interest from younger members of the community.

The first Leadership Series event is entitled "Mission Possible: Don't Let Insecurities Sabotage Your Job Search" which will be held Tuesday, February 28, 2012. Please note the date has changed from January 24. Attendees will be given the opportunity to hear from employment experts and receive advice on how to overcome their insecurities and make a great impression. The information from this panel is applicable to anyone in their career field, whether they are just beginning their job search or transitioning to a new position.

The following speakers will serve on the panel: Stacy Doepner-Hove – LWVMN President, Director of the Master's Program in Human Resources and Industrial Relations at University of Minnesota Carlson School of Management; Sally McGraw – Already Pretty Blogger/Body Image Writer; Mishel Horta – Diversity Coordinator at Robins, Kaplan, Miller & Ciresi L.L.P.; and Abigail Lessnau - HR Generalist at Cummins Power Generation. Diane Tran - Project Manager at Grassroots Solutions, Former LWVMN Board Member, and LOTT AC Member will serve as the moderator.

Mentoring-An Essential Task for All Women

Wed, 11 Jan 2012 16:38:00 GMT

As we approach the start of the 2012 Leaders of Today and Tomorrow Program, I am once again filled with hope for the advancement of women in all sectors of our society. Mentors play an essential role in this program and we are proud to welcome Sadie O’Connor, Pamela Congemi, Claire Wilson, Jewelie Grape, and Anna Docherty to their first year of mentoring with LOTT. We are thrilled to welcome back second time mentors Bev Benson, Susan Clarke, Molly Loomis, Lindsey Wollschlager and Stephanie Jacobs. These women will mentor a LOTT Fellow for the duration of the program and many will continue their relationship beyond the program. We appreciate these women stepping up to provide guidance to a young woman who wants to improve and become a more effective leader in her community and profession. While the application process is closed for the 2012 program, if you are interested in mentoring, contact Allie Wagstrom to discuss 2013’s program.

Looking back in my professional and personal development, I have always had amazing mentors; I just didn’t call them “mentor”. From my grandmother Gloria, to my mother Dawn, to my favorite professors Sirmati Basu and Barb Frey, my life has been influenced by women who pushed themselves to achieve and lead within their families and communities. As I advanced professionally, I have had both formal and informal mentoring relationships. All have been beneficial, regardless of the duration. I am most thankful to LWV Minnesota’s former executive director Keesha Gaskins, for all she has done for me in my development. Who do you want to thank for their mentorship of you?

Allie Wagstrom

In fondest memory of Gloria Griffin

Fri, 06 Jan 2012 23:32:00 GMT

All of us at the League of Women Voters Minnesota were saddened by the news of Gloria Griffin’s passing. Gloria was a lifetime member of the League of Women Voters and is fondly remembered in particular by members of her beloved South Tonka League. I actually know very little about Gloria’s involvement with the League, but met her about 20 years ago, 19 years before I joined LWV Minnesota as Development Coordinator.

I owe so much to Gloria for hiring me as an intern for the MN Women’s Consortium right out of college in 1992. She opened me up to so many new ideas and experiences. It was there that I learned the value of non-partisanship and not to pre-judge folks by their political party. In one of her many visits to the office as a volunteer, Kay Taylor charmed me into volunteering for a Pro-Choice Republican woman’s election campaign. I had never heard of such a thing, but I was excited to learn more and tagged along with Kay to stuff envelopes and talk issues with the candidate. I watched as Dede Wolfson and Grace Harkness collaborated on the Capitol Bulletin, setting aside their differing political affiliations and working toward the common goal of making women’s lives better. Without the people I met, the experience and perspective I gained because Gloria saw something in me, I can’t say for sure that I would be sitting behind a League of Women Voters Minnesota desk, doing the work I love.

One of my fondest memories of Gloria is the day that my faculty internship advisor, Cate Palczewski, visited the MN Women’s Consortium for her required site visit and stood toe to toe with the amazing Gloria Griffin, the Consortium’s Executive Director. I gasped a little as Cate reached out to shake her hand, because I had forgotten to mention that Gloria’s hands were very delicate because of rheumatoid arthritis. To my great relief, Cate observed those tiny fragile hands, and grasped it gently.

Observing the juxtaposition of these two feminist supersheroes, who I admired equally and yet couldn’t be any more different from each other, amused me greatly. Cate is very tall and built like a linebacker. While many women might be offended to be described as such, Cate would gladly take it as the compliment intended. Gloria was a svelte woman who looked like she might be swept away in too brisk of a wind. Of course, we all know that Gloria’s physical frailty belied her unending strength of mind and spirit. Their mannerisms mirrored their physicality. Cate’s southern drawl, bluster and lack of verbal filter countered Gloria’s more even-toned style and tactfully chosen words. I thought, “This is going to be an interesting visit.”

After briefly touring the Women’s Building, the three of us hopped into a car and lunched at the Mai Village. Conversation revolved around the history of the Consortium and the role of the Consortium in uniting Minnesota women’s organizations so they work in concert to improve the quality of our lives. After listening intently to Gloria for a while, Cate stated very matter of fact like, “So this is your version of the Ol’ Boys Club. This is the Ol’ Girls Club.” I braced myself, wondering if Gloria would be offended by the "ol'" reference. Keep in mind that Gloria was 67 at the time, and I’d guess Cate was in her early 30s. Again, I worried for nothing. Gloria smiled, laughed and agreed that indeed, the Consortium is the female equivalent of the ol’ boys club, but they “encourage young women to join as well.”

That was the first time I really noticed how much Gloria’s eyes twinkled. Gloria's work was often of a very serious nature, but when you got a glimpse of that humor, the twinkle was unmistakable. Those lovely eyes reflected her spark and determination. Her wide smile spoke volumes about her kindness, grace and humor. After Gloria made her joke, we all chuckled, relaxed and enjoyed the rest of our meal. Gloria had a gift for putting people at ease. Just thinking back to that experience, it is easy to see how she accomplished the massive task of connecting hundreds of women’s organizations, many with completely different missions.

We lost a great one when Gloria passed, but we have not lost the lessons she taught us. Her lessons and memory remain, spurring us on to keep fighting for better lives for women and girls.

Beth Johnson, Development Coordinator and former MN Women's Consortium Intern

Media Round-Up: Recent Democracy News

Thu, 28 Jul 2011 16:04:57 GMT

Transparency

Freedom of Information Act needs a push - The Washington Post. July 26, 2011.

One year waiting period for Illinois' FOIA "recurrent requestors" - Sunlight Foundation. July 27, 2011

Redistricting

Minn. redistricting panel to hold public hearings - Crookston Daily Times. July 20, 2011

Campaign Finance

McComish v. Bennett - Supreme Court of the United States Blog.

Justices Strike Down Arizona Campaign Finance Law - The New York Times. June 27, 2011

Arizona conservatives scramble after campaign finance law's defeat - Las Angeles Times. July 5, 2011

Partisanship

House GOP to vote on revamped debt-limit bill despite veto threat and naysaying Senate Dems - Star Tribune. July 28, 2011

In Both Houses, Fortifying Support for Rival Plans - The New York Times. July, 27, 2011

Minnesota Deserves Better

Fri, 01 Jul 2011 13:59:00 GMT

Minnesota deserves better.

As of midnight last night, the government of Minnesota officially closed for business as a result of the impasse between Governor Dayton and legislative leaders to resolve Minnesota's historic budget deficit. A government shutdown negatively affects the health and well-being of all Minnesotans. Communities across Minnesota will feel the impact of the failure to reach an agreement.

This shutdown represents not just a failure in the negotiations, but is a further sign of the continued decline in our political discourse. "Political posturing and rhetoric may dominate campaigns, but they have no place in governing," said LWV Minnesota President Stacy Doepner-Hove. "As leaders, they need to set aside these differences and focus first on Minnesota."

LWV Minnesota’s position supports a diversified solution to the state budget. Both cuts and revenue increases will be necessary to provide for a sustainable future for all Minnesotans. We urge Govenor Dayton and legislative leaders to resume talking - and listening - with no further delay and end this shutdown with a solution that does not further harm Minnesota.

Media Round Up: Redistricting

Mon, 27 Jun 2011 14:35:04 GMT

The two major parties of Minnesota have each hired a team of lawyers to help their side with the redistricting if and when plans go to court. The Minnesota courts have been asked to be repaired for lengthy and costly court battle if Governor Mark Dayton and the Republican legislative leaders cannot reach a consensus on the redistricting plan.

The Republican Party of Minnesota is working with an independent organization “Minnesotans for a Fair Redistricting”. Three attorneys have been hired out of Briggs and Morgan. Former Minnesota Supreme Court Justice Eric Magnuson is one of them. The other two are Elizabeth Brama and Michael Wilhelm. If the redistricting plans do go to court, Magnuson would not be able to appear before the court. The Minnesota Supreme Court asks that former justices wait three years before they appear before the court. Magnuson left the court last June.

Democrats have hired Marc Elias (a Washington D.C. attorney) and Minneapolis attorney David Lillenhaug. Elias represented Governor Dayton in the 2010 gubernatorial recount and Senator Franken in the 2008 U.S. Senate recount. The DFL Party has also been working with the Democratic National Redistricting Trust.

If an agreement is not reached on the redistricting plans by February 21, 2012, the courts will take over the process.

The full article can be seen here, at the Minnesota Public Radio website.

To see the Redistricting Panel’s submitted plans, they can be found here.

Possible Shutdown Could Impact Election Services for Minnesotans

Mon, 27 Jun 2011 14:31:00 GMT

If there is a government shutdown starting July 1, a large part of the Office of the Secretary of State would be shutdown and could have a negative impact on Minnesota residents.

• Entrepreneurs may not be able to start a new business during the shutdown
• Voters who choose to register to vote or request an absentee ballot via the office during the shutdown may be disenfranchised
• Farmers needing crop and livestock loans during this growing season will not have access to the Central Notification System
• Opportunities for adoption or foreign trade may be halted

LWV Minnestoa is particularly concerned about the impact this will have on elections and election administration. With the August 9th primary less than two months away, we’re concerned about the ability of voters to access the information and resources they need.

Voters could face multiple barriers. If the statewide voter database is unavailable to local election officials, new voter registration could not be processed nor would it be possible to verify voters’ addresses. Because of the primary elections this year, absentee voting starts on June 24. However if the shutdown goes into effect, the absentee ballots could not be efficiently administered. Voter registrations and absentee ballot requests may not be forwarded on to the correct county auditor and voters may not receive an absentee ballot if requested. Online look up tools through the Secretary of State website such as: Polling Place Finder, Registration Look-Up and Absentee Look-Up may not be maintained and incorrect information could be dispensed.

For more information regarding the impact of a possible government shut down on the Secretary of State’s office, see their recent news release here.

Media Round Up: Recent Democracy News

Mon, 13 Jun 2011 16:30:45 GMT

Redistricting

5 Minnesota judges named to special panel to oversee litigation related to political maps - Star Tribune. June 2, 2011

For Republicans, Redistricting Offers Republicans Few Gains - New York Times. June 11, 2011

Campaign Finance

(Blog) Judge Won't Reconsider Decision on Corporate Donations - New York Times. June 10, 2011

John Edwards Indicted: Charged With Conspiracy, Campaign Finance Violations By Federal Grand Jury - Huffington Post. June 3, 2011

We oppose it for the simple reason it is wrong.

Wed, 27 Apr 2011 16:12:00 GMT

There were many arguments against women’s suffrage, all of which sound ridiculous to us now. Women were too frail to stand among the masses at the polling place, they were too emotional to make good decisions, husbands could do a perfectly fine job representing their wife’s wishes when he voted, and that their “lack of virility” would pose a threat to national security. They even said that allowing women to vote would promote voter fraud as we could hide ballots in our “voluminous sleeves.”

In years to come, arguments against same-sex marriage will sound just as ridiculous.

LWV Minnesota opposes the bills that were introduced yesterday that seek to amend Minnesota’s constitution to ban same-sex marriage. While there are many good reasons why these bills are a bad idea, particularly when the Legislature is struggling to balance the budget, we oppose it for the simple reason that it is wrong.

Helen Palmer, former LWV Minnesota president, testified against similar legislation in 2006 arguing that it is a violation of civil rights. While there are many things we can learn from the suffrage movement and other civil rights struggles, one is that history never looks favorably upon those who seek to deny basic human rights to others.

Voting is a right. It is not a privilege.

Fri, 22 Apr 2011 18:47:00 GMT

The foremothers of the League of Women Voters, who risked so much to ensure that women would be equal participants in our democracy did so to gain the right to vote. African-Americans put their lives on the line to secure the right to vote, not to gain a special privilege.

What makes the story of the United States of America so great is that we have seen the participation of all citizens in our democratic process as a strength, not a as problem. Whereas voting may have once been seen as a privilege held by white male landowners, the framers of the constitution also provided a means through which future generations of Americans would be able to form a “more perfect union.” The expansion of the right to vote is how we have worked together to create that more perfect union. When we talk about voting as a privilege rather than a right, we move to a dangerous place for our democracy where we no longer assume that including more voices, rather than just those of a chosen few, is a cornerstone of democracy. Rep. Kurt Zellers was right to retract the statement that he made on April 21 where he said that voting is a privilege, not a right. LWV Minnesota thanks him for clarifying his understanding that the right to vote is guaranteed in the Constitution and that it is not a privilege.

However, his original statement echoes sentiments that have been expressed by others at the State Capitol during this legislative session, particularly in support of bills that would require registered voters to produce government-issued ID before being allowed to vote and would hinder the ability of citizens with disabilities to cast their ballot. These bills are premised on limiting access to the ballot because an individual does not conform to someone else’s idea of what makes a “good citizen.” They wrongly treat voting as a privilege.

In a democracy the only requirement for being allowed to participate at the ballot box is to be a citizen. The burden is on the government to show that you are ineligible to participate, and only if due process has been followed. That is because voting is a right. It is not a privilege that you must show that you are entitled to have. Acting as thought voting is anything but a constitutionally-guaranteed right moves us down a dangerous path, away from the democratic ideals that we cherish in this country.

Voting Trends in the 2010 Midterm Election

Wed, 20 Apr 2011 15:09:56 GMT

After all the results have been turned in and made official for the 2010 midterm elections, Nonprofit VOTE compiled all the results of who voted. Like usual, there was a sharp decline in voter participation from the 2008 presidential election to the 2010 midterm election. In the 2010 midterm election, 90.7 million voters voted compared to the 132.6 million people who voted in the 2008 presidential election.

Maine became the state with the highest percent turnout, 56.2%. Minnesota dropped down to number two with 55.9%. For the previous seven national elections Minnesota had been number one on voter turnout. The top five states for voter turnout are: Maine 56.2%, Minnesota 55.9%, Washington 54.3%, South Dakota 53.9%, and Oregon 53.3%.

The more competitive the midterm election is the higher the voter turnout generally is because people want to make sure that their voice is being heard. Also things like same day registration and early voting can lead to a higher voter turnout. Idaho, Iowa, Maine, Minnesota, Montana, New Hampshire, Wisconsin, Wyoming, and the District of Columbia have Election Day Registration. North Dakota is considered an Election Day Registration state as well because it does not have voter registration. North Carolina has same day voter registration during its early voting period, but not on Election Day. In the 2010 midterm elections, the average voter turnout in the ten states with Election Day registration was 10 points higher than in the 40 states without it. In addition, four of the top 10 turnout states in 2010 (Maine, Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Iowa) are states that allow for same day registration on Election Day. Many of the states in the with the lower voter turnout do not allow same day registration at the polls, the voter needs to register “far in advance of Election Day”

Midterm Voting Demographics

In the midterm elections 53% of the voters were women, 47% were men. Vote by ethnicity: 78% white, 10% African-American, 8% Latino, 2% Asian, and 2% Other. Vote by age: 18-29~ 12%, 30-44~ 24%, 45-64~ 42%, 65 and over~ 21%. Vote by income: below $50k 37%, above $50k 63%.

See a section of Sherri's Testimony

Voter ID Bills are Unnecessary, Costly and Harmful

Mon, 11 Apr 2011 14:19:00 GMT

LWV Minnesota Public Policy Coordinator Sherri Knuth testified before the House State Government Finance Committee and the Senate Transportation Committee that requiring a photo ID of registered voters at the polls is unnecessary, costly and harmful:

•Unnecessary because the only thing that a photo ID can prevent is voter impersonation and there is no evidence of voter impersonation in Minnesota. In fact the incidence of voter impersonation in all of the United States is demonstrably rare.

•Costly because both the state and local governments—and thus the taxpayers--must incur costs for providing photo IDs. The government would be required to:
1.provide free photo IDs for those who do not have one,
2.educate voters and election personnel on the new photo ID requirement and on the process of provisional balloting, and

3.implement a provisional balloting system, something that Minnesota has never had.

•Harmful because many elderly, disabled, low-income and young voters do not have appropriate IDs and would face hurdles—insurmountable in some cases—to obtaining IDs and going to an election office to verify their provisional ballots. A photo ID requirement would disenfranchise the very people who currently must work the hardest to vote at all.

HF 210 was laid over in the State Government Finance Committee to allow time for more analysis of the cost implications of the bill. The committee will continue hearing the bill on April 12 or 13.

The Senate Transportation Committee passed the bill and sent it on to the State Government Innovations and Finance Committee, where it will be heard on April 11.

Sherri Knuth

Media Round-Up: Recent Democracy News

Mon, 11 Apr 2011 14:00:00 GMT

Redistricting

Ward 2 to shrink as city council boundaries shift - Minnesota Daily. April 11, 2011

Census numbers are in, redistricting begins - Southwest Review. April 7, 2011

Redistricting Battle Under Way, With Lobbyists and Lawyers - New York Times. April 8, 2011

Do Your Own Redistricting - Progressive Congress

Virginia assembly approves new legislative map - Washington Post. April 7, 2011

Redistricting in the Midwest Webinar

Wed, 30 Mar 2011 15:34:00 GMT

The Brennan Center for Justice at New York University School of Law and the National Urban League have collaborated together to educate urban communities on redistricting issues in 2011. Their goal is to ensure that people have the necessary tools advocate for boundaries that “meaningfully represent constituents and reflect the diversity and views of the public.”

Historically the underserved communities are urban communities. These communities need to be given the tools to understand and participate in the line-drawing process. This can ensure that that the communities are recognized and represented.

The Brennan Center and the National Urban League have offered a series of regional webinars aimed at community and grassroots organizations as well as their members. The webinars will go over the redistricting process and how individuals as well as groups can become involved. On April 7, 2011 at 1:00 PM there will be a webinar offered for the Midwestern Region. This includes the states of Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, Ohio, Oklahoma, and Wisconsin. The webinar will last one hour.

If you are interested in registering for the webinar or are looking for more information, please visit the webinar website.

For more information, please contact:
Madura Wijewardena at the National Urban League, mwijewardena@nul.org, (202) 629-5753
Erika Wood at the Brennan Center, erika.wood@nyu.edu, (646) 292-8319

AZ Free Enterprise vs. Bennett - Supreme Court

Media Round-Up: Recent Democracy News

Mon, 28 Mar 2011 15:24:01 GMT

Campaign Finance

Supreme Court to Hear Campaign-Finance Case - Wall Street Journal. March 28, 2011.

FEC still hasn't issued new campaign spending rules - Washington Post. March 25, 2011.

(Op-Ed) Free Speech Worth Paying For - New York Times. March 25, 2011.

AZ Free Enterprise vs. Bennett (question present to the court) - Supreme Court

RNC Attacks on Campaign Finance Law Rejected By Supreme Court... Again - Huffington Post. March 22, 2011.

Ariz. campaign-finance case brings out sharp divisions - USA Today. March 27, 2011.

High Court Takes Another Stab At Campaign Finance - NPR. March 28, 2011.

A Century Of U.S. Campaign Finance Law - NPR.

Minnesota Census Data - U.S. Census 2010

Media Round-Up: Recent Democracy News

Wed, 23 Mar 2011 18:14:40 GMT

Transparency

Sunshine Week Brings Bevy of Transparency Announcements - OMB Watch. March 22, 2011

U.S. PIRG's State Spending Transparency Scorecard - Sunlight Foundation. March 22, 2011

Census and Redistricting

Census 2010 Shines Light On A Nation In Transformation - Huffington Post. March 22, 2011

Census stats show north metro changes - Star Tribune. March 22, 2011

Let the line-redrawing dance begin - Star Tribune. March 16, 2011

St. Paul's seven city council wards heading for new shapes - Pioneer Press. March 22, 2011

Sunshine Week Blog Posts

Mon, 14 Mar 2011 16:06:40 GMT

March 13-19 is Sunshine Week. Over at the State of Democracy Blog will are posting about transparency in Minnesota and nationwide. Today, Jestina Koeingsmark talks about broadband access in Minnesota and its impact on transparency and access.

Media Round-Up: Current Democracy News

Wed, 09 Feb 2011 17:32:07 GMT

Campaign Finance

In Arguments on Corporate Speech, the Press Is a Problem - New York Times. February 7, 2011.

(Op-Ed) Reversing 'Citizens United' - Washington Post. January 18, 2011.

(Blog) Who spent what on the governor's race - Star Tribune. February 1, 2011.

Minneosta governor's race spending tops $20M - Pioneer Press. February 1, 2011.

(Blog) GOP leaders: Won't commit to Dayton's call for disclosure - Star Tribune. February 4, 2011.

Join LWV Rochester for a Conversation about Election Integrity

Mon, 07 Feb 2011 19:04:43 GMT

On Thursday, Feb. 10th at 7:00PM, join community members for a discussion about election integrity in Minnesota. The event will take place at RCTC Heinz Center, Room H117. Speakers will be:

LWV Minnesota Executive Director, Laura Fredrick Wang
Citizen's for Election Integrity, Carol Johnson
LWV Minnesota Field Coordinator, Marcia Eland

Based on the findings of the recent study of voter fraud in Minnesota by Citizens for Election Integrity, we will look at the following issues:

Our Current Election System

Statewide voter registration system (SVRS), a public, electronic database that identifies registered voters
Training of election judges
Same-day registration of voters
Practice of verifying election counts at random precincts following each election
Problems identified by the study
Recommendations of the study

The legislative bill requiring photo IDs of voters at the polling place:

What problems does it solve?
What are the unintended consequences?

This event is sponsored by LWV Rochester Area with support from Rochester Community and Technical College. The event is free and open to the public.

Feb 3rd-Redistricting in Minnesota-Who will decide and how

Mon, 31 Jan 2011 19:18:00 GMT

On February 3rd at 7:00 PM, join LWV White Beak Lake/North Oaks/Mahtomedi Area for

"Redistricting in Minnesota-Who will decide and how"

Redistricting is the vital process—once the number of legislators is set from the 2010 Census—of redrawing boundary lines for each Congressional and state legislative district. It enables each person to be appropriately represented on the state and national level by assuring that districts are fairly and equitably defined. Through redistricting, political parties seek to control government, incumbents seek job security, and minority groups seek representation. It is a task Minnesota state legislators are charged with completing, but have failed to do since the 1960s and the process has ended up in the courts.

Wattson has considerable experience with redistricting, having served as Staff Chair of the National Conference of State Legislatures Reapportionment Task Force in 1989, its Redistricting Task Force in 1999, and its Committee on Redistricting and Elections in 2009. From 1993 to 1996, he was a member of NCSL’s Executive Committee and has served as a member of the Executive Committee of the Legal Services Staff Section. In Minnesota, Peter has served as Senate Counsel since 1971, specifically as counsel to the redistricting committee in 1991-92 and as counsel to the Senate on election laws from 1993 - 2008. He recently accepted a position with Governor Dayton as Counsel to the Governor.

A number of proposals are being considered to accomplish the redistricting process with a maximum of fairness and a minimum of disagreement.

Location: White Bear Lake City Hall, 4701 Highway 61, White Bear Lake, MN 55110(Map)

Contact: Beverley Driscoll, 651-429-0642, bsdrilcoll@comcast.net

Nominate someone to be a 2011 Sunshine Week Hero!

Fri, 21 Jan 2011 15:18:00 GMT

Sunshine Week 2011 (March 13-19) will highlight “Local Heroes” across America who have played significant roles in fighting for open government, the American Society of News Editors announced Thursday.

Sunshine Week is a national initiative to promote a dialogue about the importance of open government and freedom of information. Free materials that individuals and organizations can use to participate in Sunshine Week are available on the project’s website.

“As a society, we often associate the word ‘hero’ with movie stars and athletes,” said Tim Franklin, co-chair of the ASNE Freedom of Information Committee. Franklin is the Louis A. Weil Jr. Endowed Chair and Director of the National Sports Journalism Center at the Indiana University School of Journalism in Bloomington. “But in a self-governing democracy like ours, it takes the commitment and passion of average citizens doing extraordinary things to make government more open and more accountable.

“The ASNE Sunshine Week Local Heroes winners won't be seen on the big screen or on ‘Sports Center’ highlights. The largely unknown winners in this contest, however, will be heroes to anyone who pays taxes and votes in a local community -- in other words, to every single resident who lives there.’’The winner of the Local Heroes contest will receive an expenses-paid trip in April to San Diego to be honored by the nation’s newsroom leaders at the 2011 ASNE convention. Second- and third-place winners will receive $500 and $250 prizes, respectively.

Franklin said regular citizens have had a profound impact in their communities, whether it was changing how their elected officials operate or uncovering mishandling of taxpayer money. “These are citizens who deserve our admiration, thanks and the title, ‘Local Hero,’ ” he said.

Last year’s winner was Suzanne Harris of Miramar Beach, Fla. Her lawsuit forced county officials to make significant changes in the way they handle public records.

The second-place winner in 2010 was Veronica Silkes of Landing, N.J., the founder of a small citizens group concerned about tax increases and expenditures in Mount Arlington. Silkes and her group gathered public documents and shared information about borough affairs through the organization’s website.

Phil and Ellen Winter of Waynesboro, Va., were the third-place winners. The couple gathered more than 100 pages of government documents that showed the city treasurer had allegedly mishandled about $400,000 in city and state taxpayer money.

To nominate a 2011 local hero, please visit SunshineWeek.org to fill out a nomination form. All nominations must be received by Friday, Feb. 18. The winner will be announced by March 1.In addition, two new Sunshine Week 2011 initiatives will premier in the coming weeks:

• The “Ray of Sunshine” game on SunshineWeek.org in which players can test their knowledge of open government and the history of FOIA via multiple-choice questions.
• Sample proclamations that will be available for individuals and organizations to use to urge them to approach their local and state government officials to support transparency in government.

Spearheaded by ASNE in 2005, participation in Sunshine Week has quickly grown beyond news and journalism organizations to include students, teachers, private citizens, librarians, civic leaders, public officials, bloggers and a variety of non-profit groups and associations. Many of the Sunshine Week basic materials are available in Spanish.

LWV Minnesota is proud to support the work of Sunshine Week by serving as a State Coordinator. Our work is funded, in part, by the Joyce Foundation.

National Sunshine Week is funded primarily by grants from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation of Miami and the ASNE Foundation. The project also has received a grant for 2011 from The Gridiron Club and Foundation.

Media Round-Up

Wed, 19 Jan 2011 21:03:00 GMT

Census

Census director Robert Groves says preliminary analysis points to high accuracy in 2010 count – Star Tribune. January 12, 2010.

2010 Census Data – United States Census 2010.

What Democrats Might Learn From the Census – Economix (The New York Times’ economics blog). January 11, 2010.

Redistricting

Threatened with being squeezed out of Congress under redistricting, Dems seek constituent help - Star Tribune . January 18, 2010.

Minnesota Democrats sue to involve courts in legislative redistricting – Pioneer Press. January 15, 2010.

Laura Fredrick Wang, LWV's Interim Executive Director

Mon, 03 Jan 2011 17:54:31 GMT

Laura Fredrick Wang begins her tenure as LWV's Interim Executive Director. Prior to this role she served as LWV's Public Policy Coordinator. Laura is a graduate of Metropolitan State University and is currently a Masters in Public Affairs candidate at the University of Minnesota’s Humphrey Institute. Her MPA degree concentration is in non-profit leadership and civic engagement, and she is interested in studying how the League of Women Voters model of promoting civic engagement and women’s leadership can be applied globally. She has worked previously in public policy and community organizing in the non-profit sector, for federal, state, and city government, as well as managing political campaigns.

Thank you to Minnesota's Local LWVs for their Census Work

Wed, 29 Dec 2010 21:41:00 GMT

By now most of you have heard that Minnesota will keep all 8 Congressional seats. I wanted to take a moment to recognize our local LWVs for their hard work ensuring that all Minnesotans were counted. It was the efforts of local LWVs and our community partners that helped ensure we counted Minnesotans in all communities. This was important work and our members made sure it was done!

2011 will bring statewide education efforts on redistricting, voting rights, and local elections. Together, local LWVs throughout the state will continue to ensure a strong democracy in Minnesota.

From all of us here at LWV Minnesota, we wish you a safe and happy New Year!

Happy Democracy!

Photo IDs for Voters: An Expensive Solution for a Nonexistent Problem

Thu, 16 Dec 2010 21:52:00 GMT

A government-issued photo identification card for registered voters will not improve the integrity of Minnesota elections. Minnesota has strong election laws and a history of clean elections. At a time when the state faces a significant budget deficit, spending money on implementing a new photo ID system is a reckless use of state dollars.

Government-issued photo identification cards for registered voters prevent only one type of voter fraud: impersonation of another voter. But no one has ever identified a case of voter impersonation in Minnesota elections.

Costs of Government-Issued Photo IDs for Registered Voters

If Minnesota were to enact a law requiring photo IDs of registered voters, it would have to provide a government-issued photo ID at no charge to any voter who lacks a driver’s license or DMV-issued identification card. This is constitutional mandate to prevent the imposition of a “poll tax.”

We know that requiring a photo ID of registered voters would disproportionately impact elderly citizens, voters with disabilities, voters who have low incomes, and students, who may have a photo ID but not a photo ID that displays their current address. Many of these voters would need to obtain government-issued photo IDs.

The state of Minnesota, counties and local governments would be charged with providing the IDs. What would this entail?

· A massive education campaign would need to be undertaken to let voters know of the new requirement.

· Workstations to produce the cards would have to be sited in all 87 counties, and certainly more workstations would be needed in more populated counties.

· The state would incur administrative costs and training costs to implement the system.

· Counties would incur administrative and training costs.

· More election judges would be needed to accommodate the time needed to obtain a photo ID from each voter.

LWV Minnesota believes that a fiscal note issued in 2009 significantly underestimates the costs of implementing a photo ID requirement in Minnesota. The fiscal note concluded that the cost to the state would be $250,000 in the first year a bill was enacted. The note did not attempt to quantify total costs to county and local governments.

LWV Minnesota is looking at data to estimate the true costs of a photo ID law. We believe that this is a serious issue given the state’s budget deficit.

The Absence of Voter Fraud in Minnesota

Not only would it be costly to implement a photo ID system, in addition, the costs would be incurred to address a nonexistent problem.

A report based on a data supplied by county attorneys concludes that there was not a single conviction of voter impersonation in the 2008 Minnesota elections. The only issue of concern in the 2008 election was voting by felons. Requiring a photo ID of felons when they vote would not solve the problem of felon voting, however, because a person’s status as a felon would not be indicated on a photo ID.

The county attorneys reported that most cases of felon voting that were investigated were not prosecuted as voter fraud because the voter did not vote knowing that he or she was ineligible to do so. The county attorneys agreed that felons need to be educated about their ineligibility to vote in Minnesota. In addition, beginning in the spring of 2010, county election offices began receiving data from the Department of Corrections on a daily basis in an electronic format, meaning that they will be able to update voter lists promptly to prevent felon voting.

Modernization of Minnesota’s Registration System

We can improve our election system and maintain its integrity by moving to a paperless system. For more information, see Modernizing Our Voter Registration System.

Requiring photo IDs of registered voters will not improve the integrity of our system and will cost the state money at a time when we face a budgetary deficit and need to ensure that every penny of taxpayer dollars is well spent.

For more information, see Opposing Photo ID Requirements for Voters.

Sherri Knuth, Public Policy Coordinator

2011 Leaders of Today and Tomorrow Fellows Announced

Fri, 10 Dec 2010 15:35:41 GMT

LWV Minnesota is pleased to announce the 2011 Leaders of Today and Tomorrow (LOTT) Fellows. We welcome 2011 Fellows and are excited to start the new year of women’s leadership development.

Jordyn Arndt, St. Catherine University
Lindsay Bacher, Minnesota Reading Corps
Ashley Bailey, University of St. Thomas
Kate Bailey, Wells Fargo Home Mortgage
Ashley Dean, University of St. Thomas Graduate School
Abbie Dille, Southeast Technical, Minnesota State Colleges
Anne Dutton, St. Olaf College
Erin Hagen, University of St. Thomas
Jessica Hennesy, Hamline University
Kristi Kehrwald, University of Minnesota-Twin Cities
Jestina Koenigsmark, Hamline University
Breana Lucius, St. Thomas University
Nikki Weisenburger, University of Minnesota-Twin Cities

The LOTT Fellows Program is designed to develop young women's leadership potentially to lead professionally, personally, and in their communities.

The program consists of:

    *Intensive seminars
    *One-on-One Mentoring
    *Networking with today's promising young women
    * Networking with today's women leaders

Over the course of 5 months, Fellows and Mentors embark on an exciting journey of partnership, reflection, coaching, and inspiration. Activities include interactive discussions, a variety of guest speakers, and one-on-one mentoring.

Interested in becoming a LOTT Fellow? Applications for the 2012 program will be available in Spring 2011.

Media Roundup-Redistricting

Mon, 22 Nov 2010 20:25:14 GMT

The Minnesota Democracy Network's recent Redistricting Conference is part of an ongoing buildup to the 2010 Redistricting cycle. LWV Minnesota is committed to providing you with information, resources and grassroots organizing support as your community prepares for Redistricting. As part of this our program assistant, Reba Bisciglia, monitors state and local news for interesting and informative articles on redistricting at the state and national level. Reba posts once a week on a variety of topics including redistricting. Here are some articles to get you started!

Widespread victories in state legislature gives GOP a major boost ahead of redistricting. Star Tribune, November 3, 2010.

Preview of 2010 Redistricting. Real Clear Politics, November 11, 2010.

Happy Democracy!

Allie Moen Wagstrom, with assistance from Reba Bisciglia

2011 Leaders of Today and Tomorrow Mentors Announced

Thu, 18 Nov 2010 17:54:00 GMT

LWV Minnesota is pleased to announce the 2011 Leaders of Today and Tomorrow (LOTT) Mentors. These 13 women will provide one-on-one mentoring to one LOTT Fellow providing their knowledge and experience to help her gain greater insight and understanding of her leadership development. A LOTT Mentor is someone who understands the role that women have in ensuring the next generation of leadership. Through the LOTT program, Mentors can develop a stronger network outside of their existing careers and community organizations. LOTT Mentors are selected from a wide variety of backgrounds, professions and communities. We welcome back Evon Spangler and Christy Smith who served as LOTT Mentors in 2010. We consider it a great honor to have Evon and Christy sharing their experiences with the next group of LOTT Mentors. We send our thanks to Ashley Schweitzer (LOTT Advisory Committee Co-Chair) and the LOTT Sub-Committee for their hard work on selecting the Mentors.

2011 Leaders of Today and Tomorrow Mentors
Bev Benson (LWV Wayzata-Plymouth): Assistant County Attorney, Hennepin County
Pat Brenna (Member at Large): Founder and Principal Consultant, Bizgal
Patience Caso : Campaign Director, Minnesota Environmental Partnership
Dr. Susan Clarke (LWV St. Paul): Owner, The Healing Circle
Darielle Dannen: Public Policy Director, Metropolitan Consortium of Community Developers
Mandy Ellerton: Project Manager, Grassroots Solutions
Stephanie Jacobs: Director of Member Services, Minnesota Council of Foundations
Molly Loomis: Senior Technical Recruiter, Kelly Engineering
Hue Nguyen: Intergovernmental Relations Representative, League of Minnesota Cities
Maureen Ramirez: Director, Civic Engagement Table
Christy Smith (Member at Large): National Account Manager, PreVisor
Evon Spangler (Member at Large): Partner, Spangler and de Stefano PLLP
Lindsey Wollschlager: Research Assistant, Hubert H. Humphrey Institute of Public Affairs

LWV Minnesota Announces Laura Fredrick Wang as incoming Interim Executive Director

Wed, 03 Nov 2010 17:00:00 GMT

With the departure of Executive Director, Keesha Gaskins, in January 2011, LWV Minnesota proudly announces that Laura Fredrick Wang will assume leadership responsibilities in January as Interim Executive Director.

Laura Fredrick Wang began working for LWV Minnesota in 2006 as the Voter Guide Project Director and moved into the role of Public Policy Coordinator in 2007. She works closely with LWV Minnesota’s Action Committee and has lobbied on core LWV issues such as voting rights, campaign finance reform, and government transparency. She works with the State of Democracy program on election integrity and government transparency initiatives and is one of LWV Minnesota’s representatives on the Voting Rights Coalition. Laura leads the subcommittee on the coalition’s work opposing photo ID measures.

Laura is a graduate of Metropolitan State University with a degree in public policy and non-profit management. She is currently a Masters in Public Affairs candidate at the University of Minnesota’s Humphrey Institute with a concentration is in non-profit leadership and civic engagement.

Keesha Gaskins is moving to Brennan Center for Justice as Senior Counsel in January 2011.

Election Day

Tue, 02 Nov 2010 12:43:00 GMT

This is it. Time to go Vote.

Polls are open in Minnesota and will remain open until 8pm.

I've just come from LWV Minnesota/5 EYEWITNESS NEWS' General Election Hotline where volunteers are answering hundreds of calls from Minnesotans needing polling locations and same day registration information. If you have general election questions, call 651-646-1699 (Metro) or 800-555-8772 (Greater MN). Volunteers will be available until 7:15pm.

LWV Minnesota, in partnership with other nonprofits, is providing an Election Protection Hotline. Lawyers are standing by to answer questions regarding your voting rights. Call 1-866-OUR-VOTE (1-866-687-8683).

In the Metro, if you need a ride to the polls, call 1-877-50-RIDES (1-877-507-4337). This is the Ride to the Polls Coalition, a nonpartisan effort in Minnesota.

Finally, if you still need information to make up your mind, LWV Minnesota's Online Voter Guide is a great resource for local, state and federal candidates.

Happy Democracy!

4 Days Until Election Day

Fri, 29 Oct 2010 14:35:00 GMT

This is the time that League of Women Voters members throughout the country live for! With the General Election just 4 days away, our local LWV members making sure that voters have access to the information they need to vote. Make sure to check out our Voter Resources!

On Election Day, LWV Minnesota will hold our Hotline from 5:15AM to 7:00PM. LWV volunteers will be on hand to answer your questions about polling locations and same day registration, as well as other general voting questions. The Hotline is co-sponsored by 5 EYEWITNESS NEWS. Our thanks to the station for the donation of phones, computers and space for our Hotline. Watch 5 EYEWITNESS NEWS newscasts to see the LWV Minnesota volunteers hard at work. Call 651-646-1699 in the metro and 800-555-8772 in Greater Minnesota.

In addition to LWV Minnesota's extensive Online Voter Guide, supported by Target, League of Women Voters United States is an excellent source for information on voting throughout the county. Check out their site if you are outside of Minnesota or if a friend or family outside the state is looking for resources.

In this time of overly partisan attack ads and undisclosed independent expenditures, you can rely upon LWV Minnesota for nonpartisan voter education resources. In this climate, our resources are needed more than ever. Consider a contribution to LWV Minnesota's Education Fund and ensure that our resources, hotlines, voter guides, local debates, statewide and federal debates, are available for the next 90 years.

Happy Democracy!

LWV Minnesota's Election Resources

Fri, 22 Oct 2010 15:15:00 GMT

With the general election only 11 days away, Minnesotans are turning their attention to the election. The Secretary of State's office said that 43,000 absentee ballots have been received. Whether you vote absentee or in person, LWV Minnesota's resources are your source for our source for nonpartisan candidate information. Hear from the candidates in their own words, no spin, no filter. Here is a run down of the election resources.

Debates

Local Races

Local LWV's throughout Minnesota are hosting candidate debates. These debates cover local races such as: school board, mayor, city council, county commissioner, county sheriff, county attorney and Minnesota State Legislative races. Visit our Events Calendar to see about debates in your area. Many of these local debates are rebroadcast on local community channels. Check with the local LWV in your area for information on rebroadcast information.

Statewide and Federal Races

LWV Minnesota and 5 EYEWITNESS NEWS partnered to produce debates for Congress and Statewide Executive offices. These debates are available online. Additionally, these debates are rebroadcast on 5 EYEWITNESS NEWS Digital Channel 5.2 in the Twin Cities Metro.

Online Voter Guide

LWV Minnesota has two online voter guide resources. Our standard online voter guide contains detailed information on races from local to statewide and federal. Click here to access our standard voter guide.

We are excited to launch our new Vote 411 Voter Guide. This voter guide contains candidate information on statewide, federal and contested judicial races. Want to print out candidate responses and read them later? This is the online voter guide for you! We're testing our new voter guide this year, so please let us know what you think.

LWV Minnesota's Online Voter Guides are made possible, in part, by Target.

Paper Voter Guide

Sponsored by Target, LWV Minnesota's nonpartisan Voter Guides are available at all Target stores throughout Minnesota. Additionally, many local LWVs have placed Voter Guides in libraries, schools and community centers throughout communities. The LWV Minnesota/Target Voter Guide has information on all statewide and federal candidates, including contested judicial races.

A PDF copy of the Voter Guide is available here.

General Election Day Hotline

LWV Minnesota and 5 EYEWITNESS NEWS will hold a General Election Day Hotline. Beginning at 5:00 AM on November 2nd, volunteers will be available to answer questions on polling locations, same day registration and other general voting questions. The Hotline will be open until 7:00PM. Call 651-646-1699 or 800-555-8772.

Happy Democracy!

Ami Wazlawik: What LWV Minnesota's LOTT Program Did For Me

Fri, 15 Oct 2010 14:04:00 GMT

There is still time to apply to be a LOTT Fellow. Applications are due today! Contact us with questions.

I first heard about the Leaders of Today and Tomorrow conference when I was a sophomore at St. Olaf College. I didn’t have a clear idea of what I wanted to do after I was finished with my undergraduate work, but I thought attending a conference with other young women interested in leadership seemed like a good idea. From the time I attended my first LOTT conference in 2007 until my senior year of college, I was busy with undergraduate work and thinking about what I wanted to do after I graduated - attend more school in order to become a psychologist (I was a psychology major), go to law school or simply find a job that interested me. After attending my second LOTT conference in 2008, I became more interested in the fields of law/policy. During the course of my undergraduate career, as I took women’s studies courses, attended leadership conferences and got involved with volunteer work, I realized that something was missing. The LOTT program helped fill that hole by providing awesome examples of women leaders and inspiring me to do what I felt I was compelled to do – become a leader.

I went on to graduate from college, tried unsuccessfully to get a research position in psychology, but found an AmeriCorps position that interested me. This position, along with my interest in law/policy based on previous volunteer experience, prompted me to apply to law and policy schools soon after graduating. I attended my third LOTT conference this past April, which confirmed for me not only that I wanted to be a leader, but that I wanted to run for political office. I am now in the first year of my Master’s in Public Policy program at the Humphrey Institute. I liked the League of Women Voters so much that I am now working and interning for them.

I believe that meeting and networking with women leaders at the three LOTT conferences that I attended played an important role in developing my interest in law/public policy. I met so many bright young women and seasoned women leaders at these conferences. Listening to women in leadership roles talk about the passion they feel for their work, tell stories about running for office and share inspirational tidbits of wisdom is really powerful.

Ami Wazlawik

LOTT Program Applications due October 15

Tue, 05 Oct 2010 15:15:46 GMT

LWV Minnesota is accepting applications for the 2011 LOTT Fellows Program. This unique leadership development program provides intensive leadership development training through 1-1 mentoring, intensive seminars and networking with today’s leaders. A LOTT Fellows can be in their last two years of post-secondary education or an emerging professional who is interested in increasing her leadership capacity. LWV Minnesota believes that through active leadership development we can ensure an increase in the number of women leaders in communities and organizations, both public and private. Does this sound like the right program for you? Consider applying and becoming part of this empowering program.

Will the economy have an effect on voter turnout in in 2010?

Thu, 23 Sep 2010 17:08:50 GMT

Blogger Brian J. Siebel, for the Huffington Post, questioned the current budget cuts and the effect on the accessibility to the polls in the mid-term election. In his blog post, Siebel brings up different counties around the nation that have had to cut funds to early voting. A county in Florida had to cut six (17 down to 11) early voting cites this year due to cut funds. Early voting allows people to vote prior to the election, this allows ”access to the polls by accommodating more people’s schedules and reducing lines on Election Day”.

Siebel points out that while participation in mid-term elections is lower than during presidential election years, this is not a reason to cut the funds that aid voting. Other counties in the U.S. have also reduced the number of precincts. Some of them, however, have failed to inform the voter of these changes. Not knowing where to vote or the uncertainty regarding a new precinct locations are two factors that have an effect on voter turnout.

Individual voters must be thought of when conducting precinct changes. If precincts are changed in a way that will have an impact on the voter, the voter must be informed of the change in location. Due to the individual voter, people are put into political power and in return owe it to the voter to keep them informed on what is going on regarding the individual’s right and accessibility to vote.

Reba Bisciglia, Program Assistant

Minnesota’s campaign finance disclosure law gets its day in court

Tue, 24 Aug 2010 17:09:00 GMT

The Minnesota law requiring corporations who make political donations to file periodic disclosure reports was challenged in federal court yesterday. Minnesota Citizens Concerned for Life (MCCL), Taxpayer’s League of Minnesota, and Coastal Travel Enterprises asked Judge Donovan Frank to block Minnesota’s law, saying that the requirements were burdensome and effectively blocked free speech.

Let’s review the requirements.

Corporations making political expenditures can do so under an independent political expenditure fund.
Report money spent on elections by filing periodic reports with the Campaign Finance and Public Disclosure Board. Reports need to be filed 28 and 15 days before the primary election and 42 and 10 days before the general election.

If we are to have an informed electorate – which is a cornerstone of our democracy – disclosure of campaign spending is necessary. Even before the Citizens United decision, voters were bombarded by an onslaught of campaign ads, many with sensational claims and questionable facts. It was hard enough then to know how to evaluate the contents of political advertising and to effectively do so with the addition of corporate money into elections will be even more difficult. When you receive an ad from Citizens for a More Pleasant Pleasantville (CMPP) telling you to vote for Candidate A over Candidate B because she will be better for the business environment, don’t you want to know if CMPP is funded by local businesses who have a track record of good corporate citizenship, or by the factory on the edge of town that regularly moves jobs overseas and has racked up several safety violations? Voters should be able to easily access that information.

Judge Frank said that he would rule before September 20 – one day before the next round of reports on corporate spending is due.

21st century suffrage

Thu, 19 Aug 2010 17:07:00 GMT

Happy Suffrage Day! Today is the 90th anniversary of women gaining the right to vote with the passage of the 19th amendment.

Passage was never assured. Suffragists knew it was going to be a close vote. It came down to a young U.S. Representative in Tennessee who had been inclined to vote ‘no’ but changed his mind when he received a note from his mother telling him to “do the right thing” and vote for suffrage. Rep. Harry Burn read that letter on the House floor and switched his vote saying that “I know that a mother’s advice is always the safest for a boy to follow.”

Many years later,the Voting Rights Act of 1964 finally broke down many of the barriers that prevented communities of color from exercising their right to vote. The expansion of suffrage in the United States has been a long and hard fight – but the fight for voting rights is far from over. Voting rights are still an issue in 2010.

Voter identification: Proponents of requiring official government-issued ID call it “common sense,” believing that everyone is used to whipping out a driver’s license to make a purchase. But this isn’t true of everyone – especially elderly women. It is estimated that 18% of eligible elderly voters would not be able to comply with a photo ID requirement; a disproportionate number of these voters are women. As one lawmaker from rural Minnesota said when asked why he does not support photo ID requirements for registered voters, “I was not sent to the Legislature to take away the right to vote for the elderly women in my district.”

I surprised to learn recently that voter turnout begins to dip for women over 75. Further marginalizing elderly women dishonors the legacy of the suffrage movement.

Early voting: 2/3 of states have some form of early voting, allowing people to cast their ballot in-person with no excuse for a certain period of time before Election Day. For people who may have barriers to voting, such as the elderly, people with disabilities, voters with chronic health conditions, and those with irregular job schedules, having the option to vote during an expanded period of time will help many voters ensure that they are able to cast their ballot.

As our population ages, this becomes a voting rights issue as we consider whether our voting system reflects the needs of the electorate and the realities of life in the 21st century.

Same-day voter registration: When it comes to increasing turn-out for younger voters, same-day voter registration has proven to be highly effective. Minnesota led the nation in providing people the option to register at the polls – and allows a number of ways that people can prove their identity when doing so. For example, a student whose driver’s license reflects their parent’s address can use student ID, utility bills, and/or leases to prove who they are and where they currently live.

Unfortunately, same-day registration is only available in a minority of states, and where it is allowed, it comes under attack. Minnesota has had same-day registration for decades and, if there was a problem, we would have some credible evidence of registration fraud. There hasn’t been. Instead, we have found higher turnout and more young people voting.

With the close elections we have had lately, people’s voting rights have been talked about nonchalantly – if you cannot comply with this or that requirement, you should not be allowed to vote. That is nonsense. Many have paid a heavy price so that we can have the right to vote – including that paid by the women who spent decades fighting to pass the 19th amendment.

Money, Politics, and Justice

Tue, 17 Aug 2010 17:06:00 GMT

Money can’t buy you love, but can it buy you a favorable opinion in court? Maybe.

Michael Kang over at the Concurring Opinions blog is talking about a study he recently completed with Joanna Shepherd looking at state supreme court decisions in all 50 states over 50 years and campaign contributions received by elected judges. The findings: there is a statistically significant increase in the likelihood that a judge will side with business litigants for every dollar of direct contribution from business interest groups. This holds for all elected judges with one exception – judges who are retiring and not up for re-election.

Justice at Stake released The New Politics of Judicial Elections, 2000-2009 earlier this week. Justice at Stake looks at the dramatic increase in money being spent to elect judges over the last 10 years, much of that money coming from groups with an interest before the court.

When 7 out of 10 Americans believe that justice is for sale – and nearly half of state judges agree – we have a serious problem with our democracy. There is a problem with a system that encourages judges to court potential litigants for contributions and indicate how they would rule in a case before it has even been argued.

Voting turnout gap for voters with and without disabilities closed in 2008

Tue, 03 Aug 2010 20:35:28 GMT

ElectionLine.org from Pew Center on the States reported last week on the 20th anniversary of the signing of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) that the percentage voters with disabilities who voted in 2008 was equal to the turnout for voters without disabilities – 59 percent. Historically, turnout for voters with disabilities has been lower, due in part to barriers to voting that make it difficult or impossible to cast a ballot.

The Help America Vote Act (HAVA) as much as the ADA was responsible for pushing the reforms that were necessary in order to bring about parity in voting rates. HAVA established the U.S. Election Assistance Commission (EAC) which issues accessibility guidelines for voting systems. But advocates for people with disabilities also deserve a huge amount of the credit.

While legislation has certainly helped more voters with disabilities participate in elections, organizations that represent people with disabilities deserve credit as well, Glazer said. When ADA passed, ―it was rare to hear voting mentioned and now the importance of voting is pretty thorough in disability newsletters, websites, speeches,‖ Dickson said.

In Minnesota, we are fortunate to have a strong advocacy community that looks at disability issues as they relate to voting, including the Minnesota Disability Law Center which is an active member of the Voting Rights Coalition, along with LWV Minnesota.

With election reform getting much attention in the news, it is important to consider how proposals may impact people with disabilities and not create a backslide in the progress that has been made. This includes photo ID requirements. Approximately 10 percent of people with disabilities do not have a current, government-issued photo ID at any given time.

Designing for Access and Transparency

Thu, 08 Jul 2010 17:04:00 GMT

Last year, Sunlight Labs made recommendations for the redesign of USA.gov to make it easier for the site’s users to choose the information that is most important to them, and to create better access and transparency. The new USA.gov site has been launched and Sunlight Labs finds the results to be so-so.

This prompted me to take a look at Minnesota’s North Star site, Minnesota’s state government web portal. After reading Sunlight Labs recommendations for what makes a good government website, it got me wondering how the state of Minnesota could improve their web presence. There is a lot of information on the site, but is it easy to find?

How would you redesign the North Star web portal?

Sunlight also reports on the efforts of King County in Washington to make public data sets available to people in hopes that they will use them to create apps that will be useful to citizens. Minnesota does have several data sets available to the public, such as the Minnesota Geospatial Information Office’s water quality information, but I am unaware of any concerted effort like King County’s to involve citizens in creating apps with the data. If you know of any state agencies or local governments who are engaged in efforts like King County, please share it in the comments below.