Redistricting
In Minnesota the Legislature is tasked with drawing districts after each national Census, and the Governor has veto
power. In recent decades we’ve had a Legislature of a different party than the Governor, which generally throws
the task to the judiciary. As a result our districts are relatively fair, but we want to ensure a fair process for the future.
We do not want legislators to select their own voters through gerrymandering districts. Hearings are currently being held to determine how the lines will be drawn for the next 10 years, using data from the 2020 Census. Redistricting is central to our democracy, and we must ensure the lines are fair.
Restore the Vote
Restoring voting rights to people who have committed felonies and are out of prison but still on probation (“on paper”)
was the initial driving issue that brought our group together. Minnesota has some of the longest parole periods in the
nation, and parole can last for decades. While on parole a person can be working in the community and paying taxes yet still not be allowed to vote. In Minnesota there are over 60,000 people who are disenfranchised this way. There is no formal process for notifying an individual that their voting rights have been restored, and it can be a confusing and time-consuming process for all involved to understand whether an individual is eligible to vote or not.
Automatic Voter Registration
Many States, including Minnesota, allow eligible voters to opt-in for voter registration when they obtain drivers licenses.
Anyone who missed this option needs to take another step to register, which may discourage voting. Automatic
registration—with opt-out available—will increase the number of registered voters and so foster broader voting.
Election Security and Infrastructure
Because voter registration rolls, election results, and other aspects of the voting system are kept electronically, they are vulnerable to hacking. Minnesota is among the 21 State election systems that were hacked by Russia during the 2016 election. Hacking by anyone has many actual and potential effects: reducing public confidence in elections, potentially reducing turnout and causing debates over the validity of election outcomes; theft of voter information or changes in registration data that could cause voter challenges on election day; and even changes in records of votes cast (though these have not been documented to date). Constant vigilance is required to assure that voter and election protections are up to date, including paper ballots, database and election monitoring, data breach notifications, and other steps. This requires ample staff and funding, often more than is now appropriated.