Many people are confused when they flip over their ballot to see a long list of judges, many of whom they have never heard of. Because judge races are non-partisan, meaning judges are not backed by a party, many people are not even aware of these races, how to research the various candidates, and the roles that judges play in our legal system. Because the races are not promoted by a party, it means that individuals need to do their own research to decide which candidate is best suited for the position, and in this case, which candidate will be the most impartial to their personal opinions and will provide a fair hearing to all constituents and cases that come before them. To not be surprised by who is on the ballot before you walk into the voting booth, view a sample ballot at the MN Secretary of State website which can be found at MnVotes.org.

For background on this article, we were provided with a speech by the MN Supreme Court Justice Alan Page given at the National Press Club back in 2001. It was startling to read that the issues of judge-impartiality and political backing were an issue two decades ago. His speech focused on “the interplay between judicial elections, judicial independence, and the public’s trust in the judiciary.” We also referenced a research paper on the ‘History of Minnesota’s Judicial Elections’ by Jesse Sater, published in Volume 10, Issue 1 of the University of  St. Thomas Law Journal.

Justice Page begins his speech by declaring his belief that “Judicial power comes from the people’s trust and confidence in what judges do and the way they do it.” [Read more…]

Tip #2: Is it too late to mail back my absentee ballot?

Probably not, BUT… Your ballot must be postmarked by Nov 3 and received by Nov 10, so if you mail it today on October 26 it will almost certainly be received in time. That said, if you want to be sure, consider dropping off your ballot at one of the 13 locations listed here: https://vote.minneapolismn.gov/voters/vote-by-mail/.

I’ve already mailed in my absentee ballot. Is there anything else I should do?

Yes! Track the status of your absentee ballot here: https://mnvotes.sos.state.mn.us/AbsenteeBallotStatus.aspx. You will see when your ballot has been accepted and, perhaps more importantly, if it has been rejected for technical reasons (e.g. you forgot to sign the signature envelope). If it is rejected, the city will send you a replacement ballot or contact you, BUT given the huge volume of absentee requests this year they might be a bit behind on this, so checking yourself will allow you to figure out a different way to vote.