Ritchie wants new design instructions for absentee ballots

Posted at 1:35 PM on November 13, 2009 by Tom Scheck
Filed under: Campaign 2010

From MPR's Mark Zdechlik:

The Minnesota Secretary of State's office is looking for public comment on its new absentee ballot envelope design instructions. Officials with the office say the new forms are designed to be easier to understand. They say they include more clear language and also also step-by-step illustrations. Absentee ballots were at the center of the dispute over last year's Senate election. The proposed changes are intended to clear up any confusion about how to properly vote by absentee ballot.

Here's Ritchie's full news release. You can view the proposal here.

Update: MNGOP Chair Tony Sutton released this statement on Ritchie's decision:

"Today's window dressing from Mark Ritchie can't change the fact that Minnesota's absentee ballot system remains broken. As the chief election official in the state, Ritchie failed to properly train local election officials but he refuses to accept any responsibility for his total lack of leadership. As a result of Ritchie's unacceptable failure to properly train local election officials, Minnesotans have been subject to appalling disparities in how absentee ballots are counted across the state."

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