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Voting
It’s election season.... again! In just a few weeks, Minneapolis and St. Paul residents head back to the polls to elect mayors, school board members, city council members, and more. But this year, a few things are tricky: both cities use a ranked-choice voting system, and Minneapolitans’ ballots include a few charter amendment questions related to mayoral power, public safety, and rent control. We’ve broken down some FAQs to help cut through the fog as you get ready to cast your municipal vote November 2.
How do I register to vote, or check if I’m already registered?
You can register to vote online, by mail, or at your polling place on Election Day or an early voting location. (Follow those links, and they’ll tell you what materials you need to register.) You can see if you’re registered at your current location here. The deadline to register online or by mail is 21 days before Election Day—so if you missed the boat, it’s best to register in person.
Where do I go to vote, and what do I need to bring with me?
Plug your address into this website to find your Election Day polling location. If your voter registration is current and active—meaning you registered at least 21 days before the election and you haven’t moved or changed names since then—you do not need to bring an ID. (If you do need to register, you’ll need proof of residence—the links in the last question will tell you what to bring.)
If you want to vote early in Minneapolis, you can do so at the Minneapolis Early Vote Center (980 E. Hennepin Ave.) until 5 p.m. on Monday, November 1. If you want to vote early in St. Paul, you can do so at the Ramsey County Elections Office - Plato Building (90 Plato Blvd. W). until 5 p.m. on Monday, November 1. To vote absentee in Minneapolis, follow these instructions, and to vote absentee in St. Paul, follow these.
Can I see a sample ballot?
Yes! Plug in your address here.
What is ranked-choice voting and why does it matter?
Ranked-choice voting (RCV) allows voters to rank candidates in order of preference, instead of selecting just one candidate for a given office. It can change how your vote is counted: for example, if your favorite candidate, who you ranked first, loses, your vote will be transferred to the candidate you ranked second. The process of tallying ranked-choice votes is tricky: here’s a good explainer (and illustration) of how it all breaks down.
Ranked-choice voting is a pretty controversial system. Proponents say that it gives voters the chance to vote for the candidates they really support—even if they’re not affiliated with a major party, and therefore have a smaller shot at winning—without feeling like they’re throwing their vote away, or like they have to choose between the lesser of two evils. Opponents say the system is confusing to voters and sometimes leads to no candidate winning a majority, among other things. When Minneapolis adopted RCV in 2010, it was one of only 10 cities in the country to do so. But the system is growing in popularity: now more than 40 cities have, according to the organization Fair Vote. If you want to dive deeper into the RCV debate, check out this article.
For instructions on how to properly fill out a ranked-choice ballot (available in multiple languages, use this website.
What are St. Paul residents voting on?
This year, St. Paul residents will vote to elect a mayor (among eight candidates) and four total school board seats. (And yes, both St. Paul and Minneapolis use ranked-choice voting!) If you’re curious to know where these candidates stand on issues like public safety, infrastructure, gentrification, rent control, teacher strikes, education funding, and more, the Star Tribune recently asked all of them. Read up on their answers here.
What are are Minneapolis residents voting on?
Minneapolis residents will vote for a mayor, for city council members in all thirteen wards, for representatives to serve on the Board of Estimate and Taxation, and for Park and Recreation commissioners in both at-large and district seats. They’ll also vote on three questions that propose amendments to the city charter that would affect mayoral power, public safety and policing, and rent control. (More on that below.)
If you’re curious about where 2021 mayoral candidates (all 17 of ‘em, though incumbent Jacob Frey, Sheila Nezhad, and Kate Knuth are considered frontrunners) and city council candidates stand on issues like public safety, rent control, budget priorities and taxes, climate change, and others, check out this handy guide the Star Tribune put together. To see a breakdown of candidates for Park and Recreation and the Board of Estimate and Taxation, you can visit this Ballotpedia page.
What about those dang charter amendment questions?
There are some thorny questions on Minneapolitans’ ballot this year. All of them propose amendments to the city charter, which is essentially Minneapolis’s constitution. Here’s a quick breakdown.
Question 1 asks if Minneapolis should transfer more power to the mayor, increasing the office’s authority over all city government. The amendment would take power away from the city council, preventing them from giving individual directions to city staff. This idea was first introduced by the Charter Commission itself. Proponents say the amendment would help the city operate better, as they believe the current structure of dividing power between the mayor and the city council is inefficient. Opponents say it’s a power grab that would undermine local democratic systems. You can read more about it here.
Question 2 asks if Minneapolis should create a Department of Public Safety and remove the Police Department, and its chief, from the city charter. What the Department of Public Safety would actually look like would be determined by the mayor and the city council, who would do so using a comprehensive public health approach. Based on past council discussions, that would likely mean a DPS with various offices like traffic safety, mental health crisis response, homeless outreach, etc., functioning separately from law enforcement, though it’s not possible to know for sure. Though the proposed charter amendment would remove the minimum funding requirement for police, it would not abolish the police—the DPS could include police if the mayor and council determine they’re necessary. You can read more here.
Question 3 asks, in brief, if Minneapolis should let the city council regulate rents on private residential properties. They could do so in two ways: by enacting the ordinance themselves, or making it a ballot question to be approved by voters. (Right now, a Minnesota state law prevents cities from enacting rent control.) Proponents say that rents in Minneapolis are already too high and getting higher, and that rent control will protect low-income people and people of color, who’ve been disproportionately affected by rising rent. Opponents—landlords, notably—say the regulations will mean less investment in affordable housing and less real estate desirability in Minneapolis, among other things. You can read more here.
What the heck is the Board of Estimate and Taxation?
The Board of Estimate and Taxation sets maximum tax levies for certain tax funds in the city, and holds public hearings to learn what people think about those maximum tax levies. They do other money-related things too, like dealing with the debt management policy of the city, and issuing certain bonds. Read more juicy deets on the BET here.
