New Ranked Choice Voting for city elections
11/01/2009
It's gonna be an interesting day when Minneapolis voters use the Ranked Choice Voting method to cast ballots on November 3 for mayor, council members, board of estimate and taxation, and park and recreation board. A city charter question to change the composition of the board of estimate and taxation is also on the ballot.
The 2009 City of Minneapolis municipal elections will be conducted using a new voting method called Ranked Choice Voting. This change is the result of a referendum that voters passed in 2006. Much like the current system, voters will fill in an oval on a paper ballot. What's new is that voters may also mark a different second and third choice candidate on the same ballot, in the columns just to the right of a voter's first choice.
The City has a website to help voters on Ranked Choice Voting, visit www.voteminneapolis.org. The site features a "voting precinct finder" to help voters prepare for Election Day. Voters can enter their home address to find the polling place in their precinct, and view a picture and map of their polling place. Voters can also view the Ranked Choice Voting sample ballot for their precinct. This precinct sample ballot is exactly what the voters will see on the ballot at the polls on Election Day.
Voters can register at the polls by providing an ID; visit www.ci.minneapolis. mn.us/elections and view the Election Day Registration link. Election officials encourage all voters to bring a state-approved ID to the polls. That way if you need to register to vote, or your pre-registration documents weren't filed on time, you'll be able to register on the spot, at the polls. The Minneapolis Office of Elections and Voter Registration is responsible for administering city elections. For info about registering and voting visit www.ci.minneapolis.mn.us/elections, or call 311 or 612-673-3000.
Polls for the November 3 General Election are open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Residents can vote if they are at least 18 years old, are a U.S. Citizen, and have lived in Minnesota for at least 20 days before the election. All voters in line at 8 p.m. are allowed to complete the voting process.