Voting & Election Administration
Voting is People Power
The League of Women Voters grew from the movement to secure for women the right to vote through the 19th Amendment. Now LWV works to secure for each citizen in every generation the right to vote as well. In the past, LWV has advocated for the Voting Rights Act, the National Voter Registration Act, and the Help America Vote Act. Today, LWV Minnesota advocates on a variety of issues to ensure access to the ballot and encourage voter participation in every election.
Restoration of Voting Rights
More than 55,000 Minnesotans recently had their rights restored. Previously, individuals who were on probation or parole could not exercise their right to vote. Now, your criminal record does not affect your right to vote in Minnesota unless you are currently incarcerated serving a felony conviction. Read more on the Secretary of State’s fact sheet.
Although felony disenfranchisement affects all communities in Minnesota, this policy had a disproportionate impact on communities of color because Minnesota disproportionately incarcerates people of color. Restoration of these voting rights simplifies our election administration. The moment a person leaves incarceration, voting rights are immediately restored, a policy change that had bipartisan support in the MN Legislature. LWV Minnesota strongly supports the restoration of voting rights to allow citizens living in the community on probation or parole to vote. Learn more here.
Automatic Voter Registration
Automatic voter registration (AVR) is a system implemented by some states, soon including Minnesota, to streamline how voters register. Under AVR, citizens who are eligible to vote and interact with government agencies become registered to vote automatically unless the citizen declines. This practice makes it easier to register to vote and ensures that voter registrations are more likely to be up to date. AVR is more convenient for voters and less prone to errors. It also boosts registration rates, reduces (the already low) potential for voter fraud, and lowers costs of administering voter registration. Read The Case for Automatic Voter Registration by the Brennan Center for Justice to learn more about AVR. Note: anyone who interacts with a government agency like the DMV will not be registered unless they prove their citizenship.
Provisional Ballots
Provisional ballots are a "maybe pile" of votes. In states with provisional ballots, if a voter comes to a polling place but is not registered or is unable to prove their eligibility to vote, they may be given a provisional ballot. After election day, a panel of election officials determine and verify eligibility of the voter. Sometimes the panel cannot verify a voter's eligibility and the ballot is discarded without being counted. Often the voter is not notified and believes their vote was counted even if it was not. Sometimes a provisional ballot is rejected due to no fault of the voter and at the error of an election administrator. In some states, evidence demonstrates that provisional ballots are given more often to marginalized individuals and other commonly disenfranchised voters, such as college students, elderly, low-income, or people of color. For these reasons, provisional ballots should be avoided whenever possible.
Minnesota does not use provisional ballots because it has same-day registration. LWVMN opposes the implementation of provisional ballots. Our current voter registration system is one of the best in the country, and provisional ballots would be a step backward. For Minnesota, provisional ballots are a flawed solution to a non-existent problem. The current system determines voter eligibility without creating a "maybe pile" of ballots that might not be counted.
Photo ID Requirements
In 2012, Minnesotans rejected a proposed constitutional amendment that would have required Minnesota voters to possess and display a government-issued ID at their polling place in order to vote. Opponents of the amendment demonstrated through studies of other states that photo ID requirements can prevent eligible voters from voting. Supporters of the amendment stoked people's fears about voting fraud, but no evidence demonstrates that voter fraud is frequent enough to justify a photo ID policy. Voter fraud is extremely rare. The number of individuals who would have been disenfranchised had the amendment passed would have been substantially more than any attempting fraud. LWVMN opposes policies that prevent eligible voters from exercising their right to vote.
Intimidation and Interference with Election Officials
While threats and intimidation of election officials has not happened to the same degree in Minnesota as elsewhere, we have seen the same underlying beliefs and behaviors by those who have been led to believe, without any evidence that has withstood judicial scrutiny, that our elections are not secure and that outcomes cannot be trusted.
In 2023, LWVMN advocated authoritatively for legislation that now prohibits any effort to directly or indirectly use or threaten force, coercion, violence, restraint, damage, harm, or loss, against another with the intent to influence an election official in the performance of their duties. Additionally, no one may access without authorization, tamper with, or facilitate unauthorized access to or tampering with electronic voting systems and equipment, and no one may knowingly and without consent make personal information about an election official publicly available when it could pose an imminent and serious threat.
This law makes it clear to those who might harass or threaten election officials, as well as to those same election officials and workers, that such threats and harassment are not acceptable and will not be tolerated, no matter what a person may believe about the integrity of elections and our election systems.
Pre-Registration of 16 and 17 year olds
As of June 1, 2023, any individual who is under the age of 18, but is at least 16 years of age and meets all requirements for eligibility to vote, except for age, may now submit a voter registration application.
We believe that permitting the pre-registration of 16 and 17 year olds creates a more robust and accessible voting process for first-time voters. Registering voters when they are eligible will incentivize lifelong engagement. You can read more about our Youth Civic Engagement work here.
Permanent Absentee Voter List
Establishing a permanent absentee ballot list is a valuable service for voters who, due to a variety of personal circumstances, choose to vote by absentee ballot each election. This also decreases time and money spent by election administrators who carry out necessary election safeguards.
Starting June 1, 2024 in Minnesota, voters can apply to automatically receive an absentee ballot before each election. Absentee ballots will be sent to voters on the permanent absentee voter list at least 46 days before each regularly scheduled election.
LWVUS 2023 Legislative Priorities
Campaign for Making Democracy Work ® ensuring a free, fair and accessible electoral system for all eligible voters by focusing on Voting Rights, Improving Elections, Campaign Finance/Money in Politics, direct election of the President by popular vote (including through the national popular vote interstate compact and abolition of the Electoral College), and Redistricting.
Watchlist: Respond strategically on issues like the Equal Rights Amendment, immigration reform, climate change and, health care with LWV positions when needed, but focus on the Campaign for Making Democracy Work
