HomeMy WebLinkAbout6.d. Early Voting Resolution��SEMOUl `+ 1 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
CITY COUNCIL
City Council Regular Meeting Date: March 17, 2015
AGENDA ITEM: Early Voting Resolution
AGENDA SECTION:
Consent
PREPARED BY: Clarissa Hadler, City Clerk
AGENDA NO.
6.d.
ATTACHMENTS: Draft Resolution, Infographics
APPROVED BY:
ddj
RECOMMENDED ACTION:
Motion to approve a Resolution in Support of Legislation Establishing an Early Voting
Process for Voters in Minnesota.
SUMMARY
In 2014, Minnesota extended absentee voting to allow for "no -excuse" Absentee Ballot (AB) voting.
This resulted in a significant increase in in-person absentee voting at City Hall during the 2014 mid-
term election. Because of the extensive paperwork inherent in the AB process, this resulted in a
significant amount of staff time to dispense, accept, and process those ballots. The attached
infographics illustrate the difference between in-person absentee voting and a true early voting
system.
BACKGROUND
The absentee balloting process requires that the completed ballot be placed in a series of envelopes
signed by the election official. The ballot is then placed in a secure box to be processed in the days
before the election. While the no -excuse AB voting process was promoted as "early voting" by the
media and political campaigns, a true early voting procedure would allow voters to put their ballot
into a tabulator as they do on Election Day. This would have two main benefits; voter mistakes can
be fixed immediately so that a ballot is sure to be counted, and it should substantially decrease the
paper "shuffling" and staff time that takes place with the AB envelope process..
Early voting would not replace the absentee ballot process. It is proposed that there would be a
specific timeframe in which early voting would take place; for instance the two week period
preceding election day. The hope is that many people who intended to vote early would choose to
do it within this timeframe rather than choosing the absentee ballot process.
There is currently a bill that has been introduced in the state Senate (SF414, Sieben) that would
establish early voting in Minnesota. The League of Minnesota Cities is lobbying for support of that
bill and has asked cities to help them by passing a Resolution of a support for this type of early
voting legislation.
SUMMARY
Staff recommends approving a resolution in support of legislation establishing an early voting
process for voters in Minnesota. This resolution will be sent to legislators and the League of
Minnesota Cities.
FA
CITY OF ROSEMOUNT
RESOLUTION NO. 2015-
A RESOLUTION IN SUPPORT OF LEGISLATION ESTABLISHING
AN EARLY VOTING PROCESS FOR VOTERS IN MINNESOTA
WHEREAS, Minnesota law currently provides for no -excuse absentee voting by mail and in-
person; and
WHEREAS, with in-person absentee voting, the voter must place their voted ballot in a series of
envelopes that is processed at a later date by election officials; and
WHEREAS, early voting would allow a voter to place their voted ballot directly into the ballot
tabulator, thereby reducing the risk of voter errors and reducing the administrative costs involved
with in-person absentee voting; and
WHEREAS, a process will still be provided for voters to request and submit an absentee ballot
by mail;
NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the City Council of the City of Rosemount
hereby supports legislation establishing an early voting process for the voters in the State of
Minnesota;
ADOPTED this 17' day of March, 2015, by the City Council of the City of Rosemount.
William H. Droste, Mayor
ATTEST:
Clarissa Hadler, City Clerk