Capitol View: February 17, 2009 Archive

John Kline on Midday this morning

Posted at 8:45 AM on February 17, 2009 by Tom Scheck

GOP Rep. John Kline will be on MPR's Midday this morning at 11.

Common Cause likes early voting too

Posted at 12:12 PM on February 17, 2009 by Tim Pugmire

A week after Minnesota Secretary of State Mark Ritchie detailed his election-reform agenda, the organization Common Cause Minnesota has released a report that makes similar recommendations.

Here's the Common Cause Minnesota news release:

REPORT OUTLINES STEPS TO IMPROVE MINNESOTA'S ELECTION SYSTEM Early voting and a 21st Century voter registration system will make voting easier

St. Paul, MN - February 17, 2009 - Today, Common Cause Minnesota released a report outlining recommendations to improve Minnesota's election system. The report examines problems that emerged on Election Day and during the 2008 Senate recount. Those problems ranged from voter registration issues to poorly trained election judges to approximately 12,000 absentee ballots being rejected.

"Every eligible Minnesotan has the right to vote and our election system should be simplified so that every eligible person that wants to vote can vote," said Mike Dean, executive director of Common Cause Minnesota.

The Senate recount has provided an opportunity for Minnesota to further examine our election system and identify areas that are in need of reform. The most glaring issue is the 12,000 rejected absentee ballots, some of which were properly and some improperly rejected. The high level of error in voting absentee demonstrates that the requirements are simply too complex and hinder, rather than facilitate, voting.

The report outlines the following recommendations to simplify Minnesota's election system:

Early Voting - allow individuals to vote 30-45 days before the general election at a time that is more convenient for the voter. This improvement would significantly reduce the likelihood of so many absentee ballots being thrown out and make voting more convenient to everyone.

21st Century Voter Registration System - voter registration problems were the single biggest impediment to voting experienced by voters on Election Day. A 21st Century voter registration system, which automatically registers residents to vote when they obtain a Minnesota driver's license, would simplify the voter registration process, reduce the potential for typographical errors, and save local governments money.

No Excuse Mail-in Voting - this would allow any individual to vote by mail without the need for an excuse, as is currently required for those voting absentee in Minnesota. This would simplify the process and make it easier for more people to participate in the process.

Scheduling an Earlier Primary - the current process does not provide for enough time for local government officials to send ballots out to military personnel and others voting overseas. The Pew Center for the States estimates that Minnesota military personnel voting oversees have a cushion of fewer than five days to accommodate any voting delays in the process. Moving the primary up would provide for such a cushion and help to make party primary races more competitive.

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