Minnesota: Opponents of Voter ID amendment pack Senate hearing | Minnesota Public Radio

A proposed constitutional amendment to require Minnesotans to show photo identification in order to vote is facing a rough road at the State Capitol. Amendment opponents packed a Senate hearing on the measure Wednesday and dozens took turns to criticize the bill, providing most of the five hours of testimony. Republicans on the Committee on Local Government and Elections appear supportive of the bill, and they have the votes to advance it. The panel recessed without taking action or saying when the debate would resume.

Minnesota: Voting rights for released felons debated in Minnesota | kare11.com

The remedy for keeping released felons from voting illegally in Minnesota may include speeding up the restoration of their voting rights. Currently those individuals aren't permitted to vote until they have finished their supervised release period, which is Minnesota's term for parole.  But Governor Dayton's Election Integrity Task Force is exploring the idea of switching to the system used in North Dakota, where voting rights are restored upon release from incarceration. "It's amazing how complex this all is," Joe Nunez, the co-chair of the task force, said. "Some felons are under jurisdiction of the Dept of Corrections, some report to county probation officers, still others report directly to the courts."

Minnesota: Minnesota GOP wants voter ID on the ballot in November | StarTribune.com

Republican legislators plan to take their case for a photo ID requirement for voters directly to the voters themselves. Rep. Mary Kiffmeyer, R-Big Lake, who oversaw Minnesota's voting system as secretary of state from 1999 to 2007, and Sen. Scott Newman, R-Hutchinson, have introduced the photo ID concept as a proposed constitutional amendment. It would require all voters to produce an "approved form of photographic identification prior to voting.'' If it passes the Republican-controlled House and Senate, the proposal would go directly onto the November ballot for voters to decide. Unlike bills and budgets, where the governor can use his veto pen, Gov. Mark Dayton has no way of blocking or changing a proposed constitutional amendment approved by the Legislature.

Minnesota: Voter ID constitutional amendment introduced in Minnesota Senate | Politics in Minnesota

A host of Republican Senators, including Judiciary Chairman Warren Limmer, member of leadership Ted Lillie and Environment Chairman Bill Ingebrigtsen, have introduced a bill to implement a Voter ID requirement by way of constitutional amendment. A total of 10 senators have signed on to two versions of the bill, SF 1577 and SF 1578, that would bypass Gov. Mark Dayton’s threatened veto and instead put the controversial elections reform measure before voters this fall. The bills will be formally introduced Thursday in the Senate. Voter ID laws have long been a goal of Republicans in Minnesota and around the country, as opponents say they help reduce fraud and protect election integrity. Opponents — mostly Democrats — say they add unnecessary burdens to voting and target typically Democrat-friendly constituencies such as college students, the elderly and minority populations.

Minnesota: Amendment proposals include voter ID | St. Cloud Times

Gov. Mark Dayton rejected a Republican-backed bill last spring that would have required Minnesotans to show photo identification to vote. In his veto letter, Dayton noted that the measure would have forced local governments to spend money and that it did not have broad bipartisan support. But voter ID supporters insist the measure is needed to prevent election fraud. That’s why they’ve introduced legislation that would bypass Dayton and allow voters to make the change through a constitutional amendment. Governors cannot veto constitutional amendments.

Minnesota: Automated ranked-choice a long shot for Mpls. in 2012 | StarTribune.com

Midway between Minneapolis city elections, it's looking more doubtful that the city will have new equipment in place for 2013 balloting to avoid another lengthy hand count of voter choices under ranked-choice voting. In 2009, it took 18 days after the election and lots more money for the last winner to be declared after a hand count of second-choice ballots determined the outcome.

Hennepin County's election director said she hopes the county can buy new voting equipment in late 2012 or early 2013. Asked how optimistic she was that such equipment could count the ranked-choice ballots, Rachel Smith responded, "It's certainly possible. ... I'm still optimistic that we'll have something in place for Minneapolis."

Minnesota: Ranked voting in St. Paul: mostly trouble-free, with a few quirks | TwinCities.com

Alone among his political peers, Green Party candidate Jim Ivey sang the praises of ranked-choice voting as he walked door to door in Ward 2, trying to win first- and second-place votes in an attempt to unseat long-standing St. Paul City Council member Dave Thune. Now, the same process Ivey championed effectively will leave him at the mercy of supporters of Cynthia Schanno and Sharon Anderson, the two most conservative candidates in his five-way race.

As the two weakest vote-getters in the Ward 2 election, the last-place finishers will be dropped from tallies next week during rounds of "elimination"-style vote-counting. Voters who selected the last-place candidates still get to be heard, as their second-choice picks are released into the next round of vote-counting. That leaves Ivey, who came in second of five candidates, dependent on those second-choice votes to survive elimination when counting resumes next Monday. Thune holds a solid but not insurmountable lead in first place with 39 percent of the vote, while Ivey holds 27 percent and fellow candidate Bill Hosko holds 26 percent. Only two will proceed to the following elimination round.

Minnesota: St. Paul ready to give Ranked Voting its first try | MinnPost

St. Paul voters will make history in three weeks when they vote for their favorite candidate in the City Council elections. And some will then vote for their second favorite. And third. Maybe fourth.

Welcome to Ranked Voting, also known as Instant Runoff Voting, the new way to count ballots that's coming to the council elections in St. Paul on Nov. 8.

Advocates say it's a way to ensure more voter participation and eliminate the need for a primary election. It also means that a candidate who wins in each of the city's seven wards will have a majority of the votes cast, unlike what we've seen in recent Minnesota gubernatorial elections with third-party candidates.

Minnesota: $400,000 in federal grants available to improve Minnesota polling place accessibility | Hometown Source

Minnesota Secretary of State Mark Ritchie today (Tuesday, Aug. 30) announced that his office is currently seeking grant proposals from cities, townships and counties for accessibility improvements to polling places in Minnesota.

The approximately $400,000 in Federal Election Assistance for Individuals with Disabilities (EAID) grants are provided through the federal Help America Vote Act (HAVA)  of 2002.  Funds must be used to improve polling place accessibility for voters with disabilities and cannot be used for general improvements to structures.

Minnesota: Ranked-voting system to debut in St. Paul City Council elections in November | TwinCities.com

In November, voters in the St. Paul City Council election will be able to choose up to six candidates per seat, ranked in order of preference. In other words, downtown residents could conceivably vote for all five candidates who have filed to run for office in Ward 2.

Nov. 8 will mark the city's first experience with the new "ranked voting" system, otherwise known as "instant run-off voting" or "ranked-choice voting," which was supported by voters in a ballot question last year. As a result, Ramsey County, which is contracted to coordinate the city's elections, is gearing up for significant changes from politics as usual, and candidates, too, have had to adjust.

For starters, the new system has eliminated political primaries. Votes are tallied on Election Day, and if no candidate has 50 percent of the vote plus one vote, the weakest vote-getter is dropped from the results.

Minnesota: Government Shutdown Will Not Affect Duluth Minnesota Elections | Northland’s NewsCenter

If it weren't for some exceptions, the government shutdown could have caused problems for election. Tuesday was the first day candidates were allowed to file for Duluth city council and school board positions.

The election process is safeguarded from the shutdown. A judge had ruled the Secretary of State's office to remain open and all parts of the election process to continue. Had it not been for that ruling, new voters may not have been able to get registered or voters obtain absentee ballots, as the election systems would have been done. The elections in Duluth will run as usual.

Minnesota: Tom Emmer sends checks from campaign fund to reimburse counties for recount expenses | MinnPost

Thanks to recent Republican gubernatorial candidate Tom Emmer, the check really is in the mail for Minnesota counties waiting to get repaid for their recount expenses.

When Emmer heard that around 20 counties were still waiting for the state Republican Party to reimburse them, he contacted the county auditors directly and sent them checks from the balance in the Tom Emmer for Governor campaign fund – about $20,000 to $25,000, he estimated.

"This is not my responsibility, but I feel it's my obligation," he said.

Minnesota: Board approves technology to make life easier for Anoka County election officials | ABC Newspapers

New technology designed to make life easier for election officials throughout Anoka County has been approved by the Anoka County Board. The board accepted a two-year subscription contract with InTech Software Solutions, Inc., for use of MODUS Election Manager software. The cost to the county is $31,582 for this year and $67,180 for 2012.

Essentially, the new software system will store in one data base election information needed not only by county election officials, but the city clerks who run the elections in the county’s municipalities. According to Cindy Reichert, county elections manager, the system is designed to manage only logistics and election operations.

“It does not contain data concerning votes cast or voter information,” Reichert said.

Minnesota: Rep. Ryan Winkler Speaks Out Against Voter ID Proposal | Golden Valley, MN Patch

Rep. Ryan Winkler (DFL-Golden Valley) Tuesday challenged Republican representatives’ plan to put a constitutional amendment requiring voter photo identification on the ballot after Gov. Mark Dayton vetoed the measure.

“Older women, students, the disabled, battered women are just a few of the groups that would be harmed by the constitutional amendment that Republicans are proposing today,” Winkler said at a news conference Tuesday.

Winkler said Republicans argued they are trying to stop voter fraud, but that voter fraud is not an issue in Minnesota. He also said requiring a photo ID would not prevent felons from voting.

Minnesota: Republicans look at putting Voter ID on Minnesota ballot | Hometown Source

Republicans look to put a Voter ID constitutional amendment before the voters in 2012. Rep. Mary Kiffmeyer, R-Big Lake, and Sen. Scott Newman, R-Hutchinson, will be looking to pass their respective amendment legislation after lawmakers return to the Capitol in January of next year.

At a press conference today (Tuesday, June 7) the two lawmakers indicated it was not their intentions to push for passage of the legislation during the anticipated special session this summer.

Democratic Gov. Mark Dayton vetoed the Voter ID legislation recently passed by the Republican-controlled Legislature.

Minnesota: GOP still owes counties for 2010 recount | Winona Daily News

Winona County and its two southern neighbors are still trying to collect money from the state Republican Party  nearly six months after party officials requested 2010 election documents for the governor’s race recount.

Winona, Fillmore and Houston counties have all sent multiple inquiries to GOP headquarters in St. Paul, seeking a combined $3,000 for staff time and copy costs related to election documents requested after Gov. Mark Dayton eked a slim victory over Republican challenger Tom Emmer last November.

Minnesota: Dayton’s veto of Minnesota Voter ID draws applause, sighs | Hometown Source

Rep. Mary Kiffmeyer is “very disappointed” that Democratic Gov. Mark Dayton vetoed Voter ID legislation. “I really thought the governor would sign,” said Kiffmeyer, adding that a campaign finance reporting provision was added to the bill that Dayton favors.

Signing the bill was a way for the governor to appear less extreme, said Kiffmeyer, who carried the legislation in the House. In his veto letter, Dayton argues that the long-debated legislation is flawed in several ways. He questions a basic premise.

Minnesota: Minnesota governor vetoes voter identification bill | Reuters

Democratic Minnesota Governor Mark Dayton on Thursday vetoed a bill that would have required voters to provide photo identification to cast votes. Dayton cited a lack of broad bi-partisan support for the bill and its potential as a $23 million unfunded mandate on local governments in part for his veto. The Republican-led Legislature had sent the bill to him on Monday.

… Dayton said he did not believe voter fraud to be a significant problem in Minnesota and that the reason most often cited for requiring photo identification, felons voting, would not be resolved by the bill.

"We have the highest voter turnout year after year and under intense, bipartisan scrutiny, the recent statewide recounts have highlighted how reliable the results are," Dayton said in a letter notifying the Senate of his veto.

Minnesota: Secretary of State Mark Ritchie: Voter ID Turns a Right into a Privilege | The UpTake

I believe that the Governor should follow-through on his promise to veto any election legislation that lacks broad bi-partisan support and should take a stand to protect the right to vote.

At a first glance, the requirement asking eligible voters to show a government-issued photo ID before being allowed to vote seems reasonable. After all, most Minnesotans have a photo ID. So what’s the big deal? The big deal is that in our Constitution voting is a right not a privilege. Many Minnesotans may be surprised to learn that over 10% of seniors do not have a government-issued photo ID and many more have one, but with the wrong address. This is especially true of those who no longer drive.

Minnesota: Voter ID bill heads to Minnesota Governor’s desk | Twin Cities Daily Planet

Gov. Mark Dayton will have his say on a plan to require all Minnesotans to present a valid photo identification card before voting.

Sponsored by Rep. Mary Kiffmeyer (R-Big Lake) and Sen. Warren Limmer (R-Maple Grove), HF210/ SF509* would require all voters to present a valid government-issued photo ID with their current address before casting their ballots. Limited exceptions would be made for college students and those in nursing homes, battered women’s shelters and similar facilities. The House re-passed the bill 74-58 as amended by a conference committee. The Senate re-passed it 37-25 on May 18. It now goes to the governor for action.

Minnesota: Minnesota House sends Voter ID bill to Governor | StarTribune.com

The Minnesota House gave final approval to a bill requiring voters to show photo IDs at the polls Saturday afternoon, sending it to Gov. Mark Dayton’s desk. The bill passed 74-58 on a largely party line vote over the objections of DFL lawmakers, who said the bill will hinder some groups from voting. The vote was originally slated for Friday, but it was delayed amid transparency complaints.

In addition to requiring photo identification, the bill eliminates vouching for Election Day registration and creates an entirely new system of provisional balloting. After a slight dustup on Friday, Sponsor Rep. Mary Kiffmeyer said Saturday she was informed the conference committee was held within the rules.

Editorials: Our view: Reject plan to require Voter ID | St. Cloud Times

Despite no credible evidence voter fraud exists on more than a minuscule scale, Republican majorities in the House and Senate are pushing for a showdown on Voter ID, first with Gov. Mark Dayton this session and then with Minnesota voters in 2012. Dayton should reject this legislation, and Minnesota voters should do the same in 2012.

We’ve opposed such measures since at least 2006, and we continue to do so simply because if applied, they will discourage — yes, even disenfranchise — many more honest Minnesota voters than the dishonest voters they will supposedly catch. (If they even can catch people; after all, look how effective photo IDs are in stopping minors from mayhem or catching illegal immigrants.)

Minnesota: Voter ID-card bill clears Minnesota State House | StarTribune.com

A controversial GOP-sponsored elections bill requiring voters to show photo ID at the polls is nearing the governor’s desk after clearing the Minnesota House Thursday. The measure passed on a 73-to-59 largely party-line vote after the Senate approved a similar bill last week.

The unified show of Republican support is just the latest signal that the issue has become a top GOP priority. Anticipating a likely veto from Gov. Mark Dayton, Republican lawmakers have already introduced a constitutional amendment proposal that would bypass the governor and put the issue on the ballot in 2012.

Editorials: Voter ID – an idea worse than it seems | StarTribune.com

“I think it’s a privilege. It’s not a right,” Minnesota GOP House Speaker Kurt Zellers said about voting during an Easter recess radio interview.

He soon backtracked, as opponents of a GOP-sponsored change in voting requirements pounced on his words.Zellers did well to recant. No other individual right is as clearly guaranteed in the state and federal constitutions to all citizens of eligible age and residency. This state’s nation-leading voter turnout attests to how deeply Minnesotans value that promise.

Yet whether intentional or not, Zellers’ misstatement aptly describes the consequences of a GOP initiative that’s likely to land on the 2012 ballot as a proposed constitutional amendment. It would make voting harder for thousands of Minnesotans — those who are already underrepresented at the polls.

Minnesota: Minnesota Voter ID opponents say litigation a possibility | MinnPost

94-year-old Mary Lou Hill shown expressing her opposition to various Voter ID bills.Opponents of a group of Voter ID measures in the Minnesota House and Senate — including one that could lead to a constitutional amendment initiative — are not going to go away quietly.

Representatives of more than 20 nonprofit groups held a news conference today to make their case that, among others, students, seniors, homeless people and people who don’t drive would find themselves on the outside looking in when it comes to voting because of a Republican-sponsored Voter ID requirement moving quickly through legislative committees. One thing is certain: Passage of any bill could bring litigation.

Minnesota: Voter photo ID bill unlikely to become law | St. Cloud Times

Minnesota voters would be required to show photo identification at the polls under a Republican bill the Senate passed Thursday on a party-line vote. But the photo ID bill — the subject of fierce partisan debates for the past five years — is unlikely to become law.

Democratic Gov. Mark Dayton last week said he, like Republican Gov. Tim Pawlenty and Independence Party Gov. Jesse Ventura before him, would not sign any election-reform bill that doesn’t have bipartisan support. Democrats don’t support the photo ID legislation.

Minnesota: Senate Republicans advance elections ID bill | StarTribune.com

Hoping to boost what they view as flagging confidence in the state’s election system, Senate Republicans approved a bill on Thursday that would require Minnesotans to present photo ID at the polls. The measure passed on a 37-26 party-line vote after two hours of debate. It would impose new identification requirements, eliminate vouching for most Election Day registrants and create new provisional ballots for voters whose eligibility is challenged.

DFL senators said the new provisions would create significant obstacles for seniors, blacks and college students — groups less likely to have an authorized ID. “I believe [the bill] sets the state back,” said Sen. Katie Sieben, DFL-Newport. “Sets the state back to the days of poll taxes and denying the right to vote to certain Minnesotans.”

Editorials: Jay Weiner: Voter ID issue advances at Capitol, but facts continue to get in the way | MinnPost

Jay WeinerA funny thing happened recently to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security on its way to nailing an alleged illegal voter. Homeland Security’s Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) investigative arm found that clerical mistakes are sometimes made and that people can be accused of trying to vote illegally when they actually didn’t.

The investigators, with the aid of Hennepin County elections officials, learned that clerks at the state Department of Vehicle Services can wrongly check off boxes and that workers at voting locations can incorrectly mark a voter roster.

Minnesota: Voting is indeed a right, Zellers agrees after radio show error | StarTribune.com

House Speaker Kurt Zellers found himself in a constitutional bind on Thursday after saying that voting was a privilege, not a right. The Maple Grove Republican made the comment Wednesday night during a local radio show, “The Late Debate.” He recanted his words on Thursday, saying he had misspoken.

The gaffe came amid a discussion of legislation that would require voters to show photo identification at the polls. That bill is nearing a vote after months of hearings.

Minnesota: Voter ID heads to vote — or a ballot | StarTribune.com

GOP backers of a plan to require photo IDs at the polls are considering an effort to seek a constitutional amendment if the bill is thwarted by a veto. The controversial voter ID bill is nearing a floor vote after months of hearings and while Gov. Mark Dayton said Tuesday he is willing to look at the bill, he added he is a “long ways from supporting it.”

But GOP legislators leaving the Capitol for an Easter break are touting the measure as one of their signature policy proposals of the session, explaining why some lawmakers are crafting legislation that could put it on the ballot in 2012.