2020 Election Guide

Election Guide Table of Contents

UMN students look to alternatives 2 4 Student groups prepare for election MSA promotes “Row the Vote” 5 UMN hopes for higher turnout 6 Who’s on the ballot?

7-8 #LetUMNVote goes natiowide 9 10 What do those two questions mean?

12 Students on the issues and candidates

UMN students seek alternatives or settle in a Biden vs. Trump election Students unhappy with major party candidates consider third-party ballots.

By Samantha Hendrickson and Jasmine Snow shendrickson@mndaily.com, jsnow@mndaily.com With the 2020 elections close at hand, some University of Minnesota students feel forced to look at voting in a new way.

In the spring primaries, polls showed 70% of University voters in favor of former candidate Bernie Sanders in most area precincts. When Joe Biden swept Minnesota, some disillusioned student voters started to reevaluate how — or how not — to cast their votes, and what that could mean for their future.

Youth engagement expert Kei Kawashima-Ginsberg said that while data shows that a majority of young people believe in democracy and the power of voting, a multitude of obstacles can make the process more difficult.

“When it comes to young voters, there’s a lot of barriers, both mechanical and structural ones,” Kawashima-Ginsberg said. “Psychological and emotional ones can, at times, really dampen voter turnout. Disillusionment is definitely one of them.”

Barriers like family immigration status, historical disenfranchisement and lack of access, both geographically and socioeconomically, have contributed to lack of voter turnout in the past.

Students at the University’s Twin Cities campus voted at a rate higher than any other large, public four-year institution in 2018, with a turnout of nearly 60% — well above the 39.1% national average on college campuses.

While voter turnout among college students has been historically low, it is

the student populations that can often turn the tides of an election, said University professor and expert on voting behavior and third-party politics Larry Jacobs.

Voting turnout in 2018 reached a 100year high, according to a data analysis by the Washington Post. The data largely credits young adults, ages 18-24, who are attending college, with the spike.

Begrudging Biden voters Roommates Alex Stephenson and Alexandra Alvarez have more than a living space in common: both are unhappily voting for Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden.

Stephenson, a fifth-year music major at the University, was on the “Bernie Bandwagon” before Sanders dropped out of the race.

“It felt like a very unique message,” Stephenson said of Sanders. “He was willing to listen to younger voters in a way that a lot of the other candidates don’t.”

After Biden’s Minnesota win, Stephenson said he considered voting third party. But after the police killing of George Floyd, Stephenson said he felt a third-party vote would not be enough to achieve the larger objective of removing current President Donald Trump from office.

Ultimately, Alvarez said that is her goal, as well. The family science major was deciding between several Democratic candidates, such as Andrew Yang and Tulsi Gabbard, before settling on a vote for Biden.

“It came down to the belief that Biden’s cabinet would be better in comparison [to Trump’s],” Alvarez said.

“Biden is at least a little bit more respected around the world… Our stance on the world stage should be more important.”

While both considered voting third party, they agreed that the change needed to break down a two-party sys-

tem cannot be achieved in one election cycle.

Stephenson, when asked if he considered not voting at all, said that actively choosing not to vote is a sign of privilege, and a way of thinking that needs to be dismantled.

“Not voting implies that the system doesn’t really affect you much,” Stephenson said. “The elections do actually have major consequences for all of us… and it’s the responsibility of people to make their voices heard.”

Alternative choices Voters who find themselves not wanting to vote for or apathetic toward Democrat or Republican candidates do have a third option — anybody else.

Grant Udstrand was considering Tulsi Gabbard. After Gabbard dropped out in March, Udstrand felt that his issues with the platforms and actions of both major parties stifled his vote.

“I believe the two-party system is a travesty,” Udstrand wrote in an email to the Minnesota Daily. “… [I]t subverts and silences the nuanced positions of people to have two major political parties that are somehow supposed to represent the common interests of two large swaths of society.”

Despite finding the platform of the Libertarian party “ridiculous,” Udstrand will be casting his vote for Libertarian Jo Jorgensen’s election bid.

“I understand that the pure libertarian platform is ridiculous,” read Udstrand’s email. “Jo Jorgensen may not agree with me on everything, but I don’t find Kamala Harris (who I legitimately believe is actually who will be running our government if Biden wins) or Donald Trump the types I can trust.”

Udstrand is not alone in his decision, nor is he one of the first Minnesotans to move away from the Republican-Democrat voting binary.

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“Minnesota has a long history of voting for third-party candidates,” said Jacobs.

A blue state since Nixon, Republicans consistently won the Minnesota vote in the early 20th century. Before 1976, 10 of the 19 elections since 1900 were won by Republicans, with the majority of Minnesota voters in the 1912 election voting for Theodore Roosevelt of the Progressive Party.

Third-party candidates have seen relative success in Minnesota, like former pro-wrestler and then-Reform party member Jesse Ventura and 1992 independent presidential candidate Ross Perot. Ventura won the 1998 gubernatorial election. Perot had more ballots cast in Minnesota than the national average, according to a report by MinnPost.

However, third-party voting is not without its problems.

“I think the stigma exists to propagate a system that serves nobody but the landed elite, and that even if all people like me can do is make a third-party have a spot on the debate stage, that is more than enough for me,” wrote Udstrand.

It has often been criticized by experts and the general public on both sides of the aisle for throwing significant votes on candidates who generally do not win anyway.

“In a close election between a Democrat and a Republican, third-party voting will tip the election one way or the other,” Jacobs said.

Ultimately, most experts agree that regardless of how or for whom, eligible citizens voting is one of the most important paths to getting their voices heard.

“If you are not participating, you are not heard,” Jacobs said. “All the concern that I hear from students about structural racism… it means nothing if they don’t turn out and vote and exercise their rights as citizens.”

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Political student groups gear up for 2020 election Student Republicans back Trump while Student Democrats are split on candidates.

By Jasmine Snow jsnow@mndaily.com After a crowded campaigning season, political groups on campus are beginning to buckle down for the 2020 presidential election.

Amid the COVID-19 pandemic and a chaotic Democratic run-up, University of Minnesota political student groups are pushing to mobilize in the Zoom era. While the conservative groups have endorsed President Donald Trump, groups on the left have taken varied stances on the upcoming election.

Following most Democratic candidates’ slow withdrawal from the race, University groups have either dissolved or pooled their resources together to support the Joe Biden and Kamala Harris ticket.

Despite Elizabeth Warren’s withdrawal in March, past and present members of Students for Warren still heavily mobilize support for other Democratic candidates both locally and nationally. According to Students for Warren President Kyle Sorbe, the group has endorsed Joe Biden, Senator Tina Smith, Rep. Angie Craig and Rep. Ilhan Omar in their election or reelection bids.

Sorbe said that while many members of the group would rather vote for more progressive candidates, the group is willing to make sacrifices in the name of political strategy.

“I think that the overarching mantra, now that progressives have dropped out of the presidential race, is that progressive ideas can’t get

done if we don’t flip the Senate,” Sorbe said. “That’s definitely one of the main drivers for a lot of our members.”

According to Students for Pete Buttigieg President Rosemary Patton, the group supporting presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg’s campaign has mostly dissolved at this point, but its members still strongly support Democratic candidates. The group was in the process of transitioning support to the Biden bid shortly after Buttigieg dropped out.

Students for Bernie, one of the largest University Democratic groups, has not officially endorsed any candidate yet.

After helping to secure Sanders’ primary win on-campus and at surrounding precincts in March, Chair Sean Lim said that the platform differences between Biden and Sen. Sanders are too different to justify an automatic endorsement from the group. They’ve now pivoted toward promoting voter turnout.

“Although we haven’t formally endorsed as a group yet, it is absolutely crucial that we get folks out and voting in this election on the issues that affect them,” Lim said.

Lim said that the group has since dispersed and spread resources elsewhere, like working for the Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor (DFL) Party and other campaigns. Group leaders are now having discussions about what to do next.

The College Republicans and the Collegiate Group for Trump are endorsing the president’s reelection bid.

According to College Republicans President Kirby Gibson, the two groups have merged in their support of the president and have pooled their resources. The groups are also receiving support from the greater Turning Point

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College Republicans President Kirby Gibson poses outside Johnson Hall on Sunday, Sep. 20. Gibson is looking at alternative ways to mobilize and promote campaigns now that safety concerns discourage in-person meetings. (Parker Johnson / Minnesota Daily) USA chapter.

“We’re definitely doing what we can with our resources to make sure we can flip Minnesota red,” Gibson said.

The state has voted in favor of a Democratic president as far back as Nixon in 1972.

Zoom on the left; business-as-usual on the right Despite supporting separate sides of the aisle, all groups do face one similar issue: How do you mobilize in a global pandemic?

Both sides have said outside registration efforts, for example — like social media apps linking voter registration pages and other social distance-friendly methods — do help their cause. However, most groups are still stumped on how to effectively campaign while following safety protocols and University Student Unions and Activities rules.

Democratic groups seem keen on keeping with social distancing and COVID-19 safety precautions at all

costs, following the lead of the DFL. Sorbe said that virtual events, phone banking and other phone call initiatives have been effective so far.

“Campaigning is definitely looking a little different this year,” Sorbe said.

“But the Democratic Party in the DFL is extremely well organized, so digital outreach is definitely still going to be effective in getting Trump out of office.”

Meanwhile, Republican groups seemed to be contemplating more simple, in-person solutions, such as moving potential meetings off-campus or waiting until University restrictions loosen later in the semester. They are currently working on meeting plans and door knocking initiatives for surrounding areas.

“We sent out a poll to a bunch of the people in our club about how they wanted to do it … and over 80% of people said they wanted to meet somewhere off campus and do the meetings in person,” Gibson said. “It’s kind of a ‘got to wait and see and hope for the best’ [situation], I guess.”

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MSA’s ‘Row the Vote’ aims to increase student voter turnout for 2020 election Starting in August, the Minnesota Student Association has recruitined student ambassadors to help in virtual voter outreach.

By Ava Thompson athompson@mndaily.com

Illustration by Mary Ellen Ritter

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he Minnesota Student Association’s new Row the Vote initiative is recruiting student ambassadors to increase voter turnout on campus for the November election.

Since the beginning of August, MSA has recruited 54 student ambassadors across campus to participate in the initiative. Ambassadors dedicate one hour a week to nonpartisan voter registration initiatives by sharing social media posts, contacting their personal networks, and answering questions about the voting process.

Before the election, MSA hopes to have up to 75 ambassadors.

In past years, MSA’s Voter-Palooza event helped register students to vote in-person, but the pandemic reshaped voter outreach strategies. With the help of other University of Minnesota students, MSA hopes to reach as many students as possible before the November election.

“People are kind of scared about the status of the USPS, whether or not their vote is going to be counted or whether or not it’s safe to be voting in person,” said Rose Lloyd, MSA’s deputy government and legislative affairs director. “These pieces of information get kind of lost for students who aren’t in political science or who aren’t really plugged in with the ways that voting works.”

Row the Vote ambassadors are trained through a 20-minute presentation on Minnesota voter registration and given a brief voting rights history. Ambassadors are then given a script and asked to virtually reach out to 50-100 people in their network.

“We give a brief history of voting rights and who has historically not had access to the ballot because that’s very important for us to educate voting ambassadors on,” Lloyd said.

Sanju Sivaan, who is a current Row the Vote ambassador, said that she has reached out to her friends, roommates and classmates. She eventually wants to reach out to student groups on campus and her connections on Instagram.

“I think that a lot of people seemed to appreciate [my reaching out] actually, which was surprising to me,” Sivaan said.

The Multicultural Undergraduate Political Science Coalition is a student group on campus that plans to work with MSA in getting students registered to vote.

The president of MUPSC, Rielle Miguel, says she hopes to diversify the leadership within the broader initiative.

“We don’t want ambassadors to only be social science students.

We want to expand it to even STEM majors and design majors. But, along with that, we also want to make sure that more people of color are the ones who are leading this,” Miguel said.

The University ranked second out of 76 campuses listed as top voting campuses in the U.S. based on data from the 2016 presidential election, according to WhoWhatWhy, a nonprofit news organization. The University showed a 65% student voter turnout rate.

The WhoWhatWhy report considered accessibility to voting polls on campus, whether students can use a student ID to vote, if schools ran voter registration drives and if there was early voting on campus.

Nationally, college student voter turnout more than doubled from 2014, increasing from 19% to 40% in 2018, according to the Institute for Democracy and Higher Education.

Lloyd said she wants to continue to see those numbers rise.

“We just hope to see those numbers go up even more this year. We would love a record high voter registration and voting rate,” she said.

University students are determined to beat past voter turnout in the upcoming election Students are showing more interest in engagement than in past election years.

By Lydia Morrell lmorrell@mndaily.com With weeks dwindling before the election, University of Minnesota students are aiming to exceed past record voter turnout — and interest is mounting.

Two years ago, the University earned the highest student voter turnout across large public universities nationwide, with nearly 60% of students voting. Now, despite in-person limitations, the University and eager student volunteers are looking to top that number.

“What I have seen is a lot more concern with voting this year than I’ve ever seen before,” said Mike Miller, University legislative advocacy coordinator.

Miller said that he was receiving three to four emails a day from student groups asking if they can contribute to voter turnout efforts. In the 2016 election year, he said he had not received any emails from interested students.

“There’s been a lot of unrest recently, based on all kinds of things going on in society,” Miller said. “And the best way to change those things is to vote.”

Rose Lloyd-Slifkin — head of Row The Vote, a student-voter initiative created in August by the Minnesota Student Association — said there has been a lot of student interest in becoming ambassadors. They already surpassed their goal of recruiting 50 ambassadors and are now aiming for 75.

“It definitely seems like civic engagement is increasing, especially in our city,” Lloyd-Slifkin said. The police killing of George Floyd motivated students to make sure that their voices are heard on the

issues that they care about, she said.

Students and a younger generation of voters are more socially aware and politically inclined, said Row The Vote ambassador Simran Chugani. “They’re not afraid to be taboo and talk about political and social issues,” she said.

However, the older generations are the ones currently making decisions in the country, said Meghan Cahill, a fourth-year University student and CA who promotes voter engagement throughout her dorm.

“We’re the ones that have to live with the consequences for the rest of our 50 to 80 years,” Cahill said.

The younger age group has the potential to influence this election, she said. A large body of students and young people now have their first opportunity to cast a ballot, and many partisan political student groups are currently mobilizing in preparation for the Nov. 3 election.

Each Row The Vote ambassador reaches out to their friends and followers on social media to talk about their registration status and answer questions concerning voting.

“It creates this chain reaction of students who are getting more engaged in voting,” Chugani said.

During quarantine, interest in civic engagement and activism has increased, Lloyd-Slifkin said. It provides a unique opportunity to reach student voters, especially with the ease of outreach on social media.

Despite COVID-19 limitations on in-person outreach, organizers are not deterred.

Row The Vote’s goal is to have at least 85% of undergraduate students register to vote, and for 75% of students to cast a ballot.

“We are excited to follow up with ambassadors afterwards and talk about what went well and how we can improve, because we want to win our competitions for voter registration,” Lloyd-Slifkin said. “But we also want to just see registration increase exponentially for years to come.”

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Sophomore Rose Lloyd-Slifkin, who studies political science and gender, women and sexuality studies, poses in front of the Weisman Art Museum on Thursday, Sept. 24. The Weisman is one of the voting locations available to students who are living on campus in dorms. (Audrey Rauth / Minnesota Daily)

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A look at who’s running to represent the University area Live on or near campus? Here are the candidates you can expect to see on your ballot come Election Day.

A voter enters the polling place at the Grace University Lutheran Church early in the morning on Tuesday, March 3. (Nur B. Adam / Minnesota Daily)

By Megan Phillips and Katelyn Vue mphillips@mndaily.com, kvue@mndaily.com

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s the election draws near, voters in the University of Minnesota area have just a handful of elections to focus on. In recent history, much of Southeast Minneapolis — and the city overall — has voted Democrat.

The Minnesota Daily gathered information from campaign websites for the candidates that will be on the ballot for voters in the University area, besides the many uncontested judge races in lower courts. Incumbents are listed first within each race.

School board at large

Kim Ellison: After 12 years teaching around the metro area, Kim Ellison was appointed to the Minneapolis Board of Education in 2012 and was reelected in 2016. She co-authored a resolution to end the Board’s contract between Minneapolis Police Department’s school resource officers and Minneapolis Public Schools in response to the police killing of George Floyd. She lives in North Minneapolis where she raised four children. She approved the Comprehensive District Design, a proposal to redraw Minneapolis Public School’s attendance boundaries and relocate magnet schools in effort to distribute resources more equitably.

Michael Dueñes: Michael Dueñes earned his Ph.D. from the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor in political science, specializing in race and politics, community organizations and organizational institutional politics.

He taught Chicano Studies classes at the University of Minnesota. At St. Catherine’s University, he launched the school’s first equity and diversity office. Some of Dueñes’ stated priorities include implementing best practices in equity programming and creating a transparent budget plan.

Associate Justice, Minnesota Supreme Court Seat 4

Paul Thissen: Justice Paul Thissen was born and raised in Bloomington. He worked as a lawyer for 25 years. During that time, he worked as a public defender and advised

health care providers through business deals. Additionally, he represented clients for free who could not afford a lawyer, including victims of domestic violence and families of disabled children, according to a column Thissen wrote for the Duluth News Tribune. In April 2018, Thissen was appointed to the Minnesota Supreme Court by Governor Mark Dayton.

Michelle MacDonald: This year is Michelle MacDonald’s fourth time running for election to the Minnesota Supreme Court. MacDonald founded the Family Innocence nonprofit organization to keep families out of court and resolve issues through alternative means. Since 1987, she has worked as a lawyer with a focus on family law. MacDonald is anti-abortion and a gun rights advocate, according to her website.

Minnesota House of Representatives, District 60B (uncontested)

Mohamud Noor, DemocraticFarmer-Labor: Rep. Mohamud Noor assumed office representing District 60B early last year.

He earned a Bachelor of Science degree in computer acience from Metropolitan University. Noor is an advocate for the $15 minimum wage, closing racial equity gaps and more. He is also the executive director of the Confederation of Somali Community of Minnesota. Noor has previously worked with the University’s student government for renter rights and has pushed for cash bail reform.

Minnesota State Senate, District 60

Kari Dziedzic, Democratic-FarmerLabor: Sen. Kari Dziedzic is the district’s eight-year incumbent. She is a member of three committees in the Minnesota State Senate, including the Agriculture, Rural Development and Housing Finance Committee; the Judiciary and Public Safety Finance and Policy Committee; and the Taxes Committee.

Mary Holmberg, Republican: Mary Holmberg is on the ballot as a Republican for State Senate District 60.

Her Facebook page does not have any de-

tails about her platform or background and does not link to a campaign page.

U.S. House of Representatives, Minnesota District 5

Ilhan Omar, Democratic-FarmerLabor: Rep. Ilhan Omar was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 2018.

She is the first Somali American member of Congress, the first woman of color to represent Minnesota in Washington D.C. and one of the first two Muslim American women elected to Congress.

Omar plans to focus on issues such as investing in education and decreasing student debt, ensuring fair wages for workers, creating a just immigration system and prioritizing the threat of climate change.

Lacy Johnson, Republican: Lacy Johnson has lived in North Minneapolis for 40 years. Johnson studied pre-med, math and English at the University of Minnesota, and his career experience is in technology and economic development. He served as program director for Hospitality House Youth Development, a Christian youth development center in North Minneapolis. Johnson’s platform includes supporting school choice, expanding Medicare and advocating for criminal justice reform legislation, which rehabilitates criminals and shortens mandatory minimums.

Michael Moore, Legal Marijuana Now: Michael “Mickey” Moore grew up throughout Minneapolis. He attended the University of Minnesota where he received a full-ride scholarship and ran track. Moore also trained for the Olympics in 1988. Before his involvement in politics, Moore ran multiple luxury hair braiding salons. Now, he lives with his family between his homes in the U.S. and Thailand. If elected, Moore will focus on issues such as policing and social justice reform, educational reform, homelessness and the negative effects of political conditioning and political partisanship.

U.S. Senate, Minnesota

Tina Smith, Democratic-Farmer-Labor:

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Sen. Tina Smith was appointed to the Senate in 2018 after former Sen. Al Franken’s resignation. Smith graduated from Stanford University and later earned an MBA from the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth College. She is married and has two sons. Before entering local government, she worked for General Mills and started a small business. She previously served as chief of staff to both Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak and Governor Mark Dayton. Smith served as Minnesota’s 48th lieutenant governor for three years. Her focuses include tax fairness to ensure the wealthiest 2% pay their “fair share,” early education, rural broadband access and increasing health insurance access.

Jason Lewis, Republican: Jason Lewis graduated from the University of Northern Iowa with a Bachelor of Arts degree in education and business and received his Masters of Arts degree in political science from the University of Colorado-Denver. Lewis was formerly a conservative talk radio show host.

He previously served in the U.S. House of Representatives for Minnesota’s 2nd district from 2017 to 2019. Lewis lives in Woodbury. If elected, Lewis will continue to focus on the issues he worked on as a member of the House, including tax cuts and regulatory reform to improve the economy. Lewis was also endorsed by President Donald Trump.

Oliver Steinberg, Grassroots-Legalize Cannabis: Oliver Steinberg’s pro-marijuana legalization platform centers on a Bill of Rights passage that states a person can sell products from their farm without obtaining a license beforehand. Steinberg also supports constitutional amendments that eliminate government allowances treating corporations as people, abolish the Electoral College, outlaw monopolies and strengthen data privacy.

Kevin O’Connor, Legal Marijuana Now: Kevin O’Connor supports smaller government and the medical benefits of marijuana. A website could not be found for his campaign.

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Students lobby to #LetUMNVote by establishing on-campus early voting, but Minnesota statute prohibits it The University gains national attention as students and others push for early voting.

By Lydia Morrell lmorrell@mndaily.com The University of Minnesota has garnered national attention as multiple prominent names pushed for the campus to have easy access to early voting.

The LetUMNVote hashtag has been shared by Rep. Ilhan Omar, former presidential candidates Elizabeth Warren and Cory Booker, and various celebrities in recent days, advocating for Minneapolis to add an early voting location on campus. In 2018, the Fieldhouse was home to an early voting center for seven days before the election. This year, the closest poll open prior to the Nov. 3 election will be more than a mile and half from Northrop Auditorium because of confusion caused by the pandemic and legal restraints.

The University had the highest student voter turnout among large public four-year

institutions in 2018. Location played into that, said Mike Miller, University legislative advocacy coordinator.

“Students walking to and from classes could swing in and vote, and it was fantastic,” Miller said.

Fair Fight, a Georgia-based national voting rights organization, urged Minneapolis in an Oct. 5 tweet to give University students an on-campus early voting location after the University of Georgia announced its own on Sept 17.

Fair Fight called on Mayor Jacob Frey and Minneapolis Council President Lisa Bender to “make it happen.” Students and politicians then retweeted it, adding #LetUMNVote.

Minnesota statute requires that early voting centers are designated at least 14 weeks before the election, which would have been in July. At that time, the city was unsure if the University would have students on campus and could not justify the cost of having an additional location, Miller said. By the time the University decided to bring students back, it was too late to designate a location.

City spokesperson Casper Hill said that regardless of how well-intentioned the un-

Voters line up outside of First Congressional Church in the Marcy Holmes neighborhood on Nov. 8, 2016. Polls opened at 7 a.m. and hundreds of voters came out early to cast their votes. (Maddy Fox / Minnesota Daily) derlying cause is, a legal question remains about the city’s ability to provide an early voting center on campus.

The issue prompted the Minnesota Student Association, the University’s student government, to release a letter to University President Joan Gabel requesting that the school provide a facility that could be used for early voting, excuse voting-related absences and provide funds for student rides to the polls.

MSA is calling on the University to find a facility that would not strain the city’s budget significantly, said Bri Sislo-Schutta, MSA’s director of government and legislative affairs.

The undergraduate student government is offering to reimburse students who use ride-share apps to get to the polls and requests that the University match their financial efforts.

“We’re still working on trying to find a solution on transporting students from campus to polling locations,” Miller said.

As of now, there are two in-person early voting locations within a couple of miles of the Minneapolis campus: Minneapolis Early Vote Center at 980 E. Hennepin Ave. in Southeast Como and the Hennepin

County Government Center in downtown Minneapolis.

Besides the Southeast Como voting center, the only option within 5 miles for St. Paul students is the Ramsey County Library in Roseville.

“Every American deserves to have their voice heard in this election, especially the young people who represent our nation’s future,” New Jersey Senator Cory Booker said in a Tweet. “I hope Minneapolis expands on-campus voting this year and that other colleges do the same.”

There are two questions on the Minneapolis ballot. Here’s what you need to know about them The Minneapolis ballot will feature questions related to the election schedule.

By Samantha Woodward swoodward@mndaily.com Question 1: Redistricting wards and park districts “Shall the Minneapolis City Charter be amended to allow ward and park district boundaries to be reestablished in a year ending in 1 and to allow the use of those new boundaries for elections in that same year; to allow ward and district boundaries to be modified after the legislature has been redistricted to establish City precinct boundaries; to prove that an election for a Council Member office required by the Minnesota law in a year ending in 2 or 3 after a redistricting shall be for a single 2-year term; and to clarify that a regular election means a regular general election?”

There are a couple of parts to this question, let’s break it down.

Cities are required to redraw their council ward boundaries within two years after the census count, which happens every 10 years, regardless of the voting cycle.

The Kahn Rule, named after former DFL state Rep. Phyllis Kahn, requires Minneapolis to hold City Council elections as soon as possible after the cities redraw their districts following the census — even if it cuts into a four-year term. The goal of the law was to limit how much time a council member could represent a district after their demographics changed.

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Council members currently run for four-year terms.

This question is proposing that, rather than running for a four-year term in 2021, candidates run for two two-year terms in 2021 and 2023. Following the establishment of new city boundaries, a four-year term election in 2025 would take place.

In other words, if approved: After the census redistricting, Council members would run for two two-year terms and then back to two four-year terms.And if it doesn’t pass: Council elections will not always match with other city elections and will continue as they are. The Star Tribune reports that this could lead to questions of state law competing with local law.

Why is this question on the ballot?

If the majority of voters were to say “yes” to this question, it would save the city money for carrying out multiple elections.

The ballot would also continue to be unified, meaning the City Council, the mayor, the Board of Estimate and Taxation, and the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board would be elected at the same time. If approved, it could help the city avoid a “council-only” election and constant elections where voter turnout could drop.

Regardless of the results, the Kahn Rule mandates a City Council election in 2023 because of the census. The proposed charter amendment has no effect on this law. However, it would make City Council elections in sync with mayoral elections.

Question 2: Special municipal elections “Shall the Minneapolis City Charter be amended to comply with Minnesota election law related to uniform dates for

A sign announces a ballot drop-off location in the parking lot of Bossen Field Park, in South Minneapolis, on Saturday, Oct. 10. On the ballot, alongside a number of national, state, and local elections, are two important questions regarding the city of Minneapolis. (Kamaan Richards / Minnesota Daily) special municipal elections and to provide that a special election be held on a legal election day under Minnesota law that more than 90 days from a vacancy in the office of Mayor or Council Member?”

Currently, the city charter calls for a special election to be held within 90 days of a council seat or mayoral vacancy.

If this measure passes, the city charter would be amended to follow state law, requiring special elections following Council and mayoral vacancies to take place on designated election days more than 90 days after the seat opens.

These election days include the second Tuesday in February, April and May, the Aug. 11 primary election day and the Nov. 11 general election day.

If not passed, Minneapolis may hold an election following a vacancy on any

day the city designates. This could result in lower voter participation due to a tighter timeline.

No, the ballot will not feature any questions regarding the police reform.

The Minneapolis Charter Commission — an unelected group of 15 people — shot down the proposal in August.

The city charter currently mandates about three police officers for every 5,000 residents, according to the Star Tribune.

The commission has decided to take further time to review the amendment, meaning there was not enough time for the amendment to reach the ballot in November.

The move has drawn criticism from some community members and City Council members, including Council President Lisa Bender.

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Students passionate about interests, underwhelmed by candidates

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Students talked with the Daily about issues that are inspiring them to cast a ballot.

By Lydia Morrell and Jasmine Snow lmorrell@mndaily.com, jsnow@mndaily.com,

University of Minnesota voters are passionate about the issues — but underwhelmed by the candidates.

While Sen. Bernie Sanders swept the University-area precincts during the primary former Vice President Joe Biden won the state. Since then, student groups have mobilized voters to increase turnout at the polls and flip suburban seats in favor of the DFL. Many University students said they are most concerned about issues related to the environment, social justice, COVID-19 recovery, healthcare and womens’ reproductive rights.

The Minnesota Daily talked to students on campus about the issues they are passionate about this election, what races they are following, how they are voting and what they hope to see from elected candidates.

Name, year, major: Diya Kalra, firstyear, psychology Elections and candidates: Biden Issues: Environment, abortion rights “I agree with more socialist policies and I would love it if those things were possible.

But I think right now, it’s just about repairing the damage from Trump’s presidency.”

Name, year, major: Kayla Greifenkamp, second-year, speech-language-hearing science Elections and candidates: Biden Issues: Green energy, social justice, Black Lives Matter, LGBTQ+ “I really hope to see more of an emphasis on green energy and moving away from fossil fuels and stuff like that. More of an emphasis on listening to people more,

From left to right, Junior Kyle Wong, First-year Diya Kalra, Sophomore Same Ahmed, pose for a portrait on Sunday, Oct. 11 in front of Northrop Auditorium. (Emily Pofahl / Minnesota Daily) listening to constituents, and trying to connect with them more than just acting.”

Name, year, major: Cole Meeden, thirdyear, biology Elections and candidates: “My man Joe Biden with the cool shades.”

Issues: Net neutrality, environment, equality, taxation “I’m interested in bringing back net neutrality, the environment and working more for equality of underrepresented groups.

And then I would think about taxation of wealthier people. I think that’s a big issue.”

Name, year, major: Axel Torbenson, second-year, economics Elections and candidates: Third-party candidate Issues: Economy, taxation, antitrust laws “I’m actually thinking of voting third party. I’m not super into either of the main parties. The Libertarian candidate [Jo Jorgenson] is kind of interesting, but she doesn’t quite, like, fit what I’m thinking so it’s kind of in between her and the Green Party.”

Name, year, major: Kyle Wong, thirdyear, plants microbial biology and ecology, evolution and behavior Elections and candidates: Biden, Tina Smith for U.S. Senate Issues: Climate change, voting rights, trust in candidates

“I would like to see Biden be more clear on what his specific plans are for addressing issues like racism, and how we’re going to rebuild the economy after this pandemic. I guess from Trump … I would like to see for him to own up to his mistakes and discuss how he can be more open about his past records — regain some of that trust in the American people.”

Name, year, major: Same Ahmed, second-year, neuroscience Elections and candidates: Biden Issues: “Minority” issues “I’m passionate about just being able to have someone I feel like would represent my population, especially being a minority in Minneapolis. We know the events that have just kind of occurred and I want someone who’s able to take action and is willing to actually do things about issues that we have.”

Name, year, major: Alexis Lipstein, second-year, biosystems and bioproducts engineering Elections and candidates: Biden, Tina Smith for U.S. Senate, Betty McCollum for U.S. House of Representatives, James Farnsworth for St. Paul School Board Issues: Climate change plan, civil rights “I know that Biden has a climate change plan, so I really want to see some of those policies be put in place and be followed by states. And I would also really like to see reform in the justice system.”

Name, year, major: Katelyn Ambaruch, first-year, marketing Elections and candidates: Biden Issues: Environment, reproductive rights “I’d say the environment is up there for me, the pandemic and reproductive rights as well. … I’m voting for Biden because I feel like he’s the best option right now. I would have loved to see a more progressive candidate nominated, but I feel like at this point right now I’ll just be settling for Biden.”

Name, year, major: Jenna Quinn, firstyear, speech-language-hearing science Elections and candidates: Biden Issues: Environment, social justice, women’s health “Preserving women’s health and prochoice 100% … With [Ruth Bader Ginsburg] gone, we need to preserve those choices, because heaven forbid they go away.”

Name, year, major: Abby Medberry, second-year, management information systems, supply chain operations management, and Chinese Elections and candidates: “DFL up and down the ballot.”

Issues: Climate change, Supreme Court justice, women’s health “Ultimately where I feel that I can express my more progressive values is in a primary and not like in the general election, but I’m still definitely voting.”