Pictures at the polls
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Are your kids watching the election results? Eden Prairie resident Wade Johnson remembers staying up late during the first Reagan election and eating popcorn as his family watched the election returns, his parents crossing their fingers for Reagan to win. “I remember seeing the states were blue or red, and my parents would guess which state would go which way,” Johnson said. “As kids that was something very visual and we were able to attach one party to one color.”
Amy Twedt also remembers driving twenty minutes to the polls from her rural home near Hutchinson to watch her parents vote. “I don’t recall the political campaigns, but I remember the activity of the evening,” she said. Continue Reading
What happens when your vote is challenged in Minnesota?
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Following news about mass voter challenge schemes in other states, such as Michigan, you may be wondering how voter challenges work and who is at risk of being challenged. Minnesota has strict laws about voter challenges, which are described below. If you are worried about being challenged, you can bring a photo ID card showing your address, or any of the other information that is needed for same-day voter registration.Registering on Election DayInformation from Minnesota Secretary of StateIf 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. However, you are required to provide proof of residence when registering on Election Day. To register at your polling place on Election Day, you must have one of the following with your current name and address in the precinct to verify your residence:
* A valid Minnesota driver’s license, learner’s permit, Minnesota ID card, or receipt for any of these * A valid student ID card including your photo, if your college has provided a student housing list to election officials * A Tribal ID card that contains your picture and signature * A valid registration in the same precinct under a different name or address * A notice of late registration sent to you by your county auditor or city clerk * A voter registered in the same precinct as you who can confirm your address with a signed oath * An employee of the residential facility where you live who can confirm your address with a signed oath
Alternatively, you may provide both 1) a photo ID from the list below, and 2) a current bill with your current name and address in the precinct. Continue Reading
Coleman denounces re-filed Texas lawsuit
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Speaking at a campaign appearance in Moorhead, Minnesota, this morning, Norm Coleman called the allegations regarding Coleman and his wife contained in a Texas lawsuit filed this week “absolutely false” and “defamatory.”
Texas lawsuit alleging that Coleman received tainted $75,000 from pal Kazeminy is re-instatedby Paul Demko
The Texas lawsuit alleging that Sen. Norm Coleman fraudulently received $75,000 from longtime political patron Nasser Kazeminy has been re-instated, according to attorney Casey Wallace, who is representing plaintiff Paul McKim in the case. The lawsuit had been “unsuited,” in the parlance of Texas courts, as the two sides pursued a settlement. “We entered into serious settlement negotiations,” says Wallace. “Those broke down today.”
The lawsuit alleges that Kazeminy steered $75,000 through a Texas firm he controls to Coleman through a job his wife, Laurie Coleman, held with a Minnesota insurance firm. If Coleman received such a gift and failed to report it, the repercussions could extend beyond his reelection prospects. Continue Reading
November 4 primer on Minneapolis education issues
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This Election Day in Minneapolis, the ballot is full of weighty education issues. First, three of the Minneapolis Board of Education’s seven seats are up for grabs, with six candidates in the running, including incumbents Lydia Lee and Sharon Henry-Blythe. The ballot also has two referendum issues, one for a property tax increase to raise money for the schools and the other for a change to election by districts for school board members. School board candidates
At the start of September, the Daily Planet and the Bridge teamed up to profile all nine candidates in the primaries. The six that made it through to the general election are:- Carla Bates- Jill Davis- Sharon Henry-Blythe- Lydia Lee- Doug Mann- Kari Reed
Election by district? Continue Reading
Voter intimidation in Minnesota
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Secretary of State Mark Ritchie announced October 29 that a St. Paul resident stated that he received a telephone call last night from an individual claiming to be calling on behalf of the Office of the Secretary of State and challenging his voter record. “We want to let all Minnesotans know that if you or anyone in your family receives a phone call from any individual claiming to be working with or associated with the Office of the Secretary of State, politely get their name and phone number and then hang up and immediately contact our office at 1-877-600-8683,” Ritchie said in a press release. Allegations of voter intimidation and deceptive practices are investigated and prosecuted by county attorneys. To report voter intimidation, citizens may contact their county attorney directly or the Office of the Secretary of State at 1-877-600-8683. Continue Reading
Election official: Minnesota Majority group aims to ‘keep people from voting’
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Former Secretary of State Mary Kiffmeyer may not be in the business of supervising elections anymore, but it doesn’t mean she and her friends have abandoned their old habits. The “traditional values” organization of which Kiffmeyer is the executive director, Minnesota Majority, has been poking around Minnesota’s voter-registration file, and in a pair of letters to Secretary of State Mark Ritchie’s office over the past week, MN Majority president Jeff Davis claims to have unearthed thousands of suspicious registrations in the state’s voter records. TCDP EDITOR’S CORRECTION: Mary Kiffmeyer is no longer the director of Minnesota Majority, according to comments posted by various people to the Minnesota Independent article. TCDP called the office of the Minnesota Majority, and Dan McGrath said that the current president of Minnesota Majority is Jeff Davis, who founded the organization. McGrath said that Kiffmeyer worked as a consultant to Minnesota Majority in the past. Continue Reading
Howard Orenstein: Running for judge
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Touting a commitment to apply the law fairly and independently, and an eagerness to go above and beyond in protecting c Continue Reading
Legislative race: Bachmann-like Judy Lindsay squares off against Sterner in MN House race
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One of the most stark contrasts in any state legislative race this year lies in the House District 37B face-off between ultra-conservative Republican Judy Lindsay and moderate DFLer Phil Sterner. The southeastern metro district trends moderate and has overwhelmingly supported retiring moderate Republican Dennis Ozment. But two years ago Amy Klobuchar carried the district, and districts to the north and west have elected DFLers to the House and Senate. So in a big picture sense, the district appears to be on the expanding edge of recent DFL advances (or Republican losses). Even Ozment thinks that Lindsay might be too extreme for the district. Continue Reading