Kent Kaiser: Fixing Minnesota Election Law and Practice
Local scholar Kent Kaiser, a former MN Secretary of State employee, recommends 15 ways to reform Minnesota's election system at The Center for the American Experiment:
Executive Summary
The recount that followed the 2008 U.S. Senate election in Minnesota brought to light several weaknesses in the state’s election systems. Many observers have suggested that improvements are needed, but few have proposed anything more than small refinements. Based on observations and experiences of many experts from not only Minnesota but also from across the nation, we believe that some significant changes are needed.
Guided by the voters’ rights principles of access, accuracy, privacy, and integrity, this report sets forth fifteen recommendations in three areas: general election operations, absentee balloting, and recounts. The recommendations are summarized here, with rationales in the full report.
(I) General Election Operations
Recommendation One. Require voters to present a photo ID to access their ballots.
Recommendation Two. Eliminate partisanship and do away with political appointments in the Office of the Secretary of State
Recommendation Three. Eliminate partisanship from and increase effectiveness of the State Canvassing Board by changing its composition.
Recommendation Four. Check for interstate double voting.
(II) Absentee Balloting
Recommendation Five. Move the primary to an earlier date and extend the absentee ballot season.
Recommendation Six. Institute centralized administration of the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act (UOCAVA) as it pertains to absentee ballots.
Recommendation Seven. Institute systems of barcoding and central processing of absentee ballots.
Recommendation Eight. Institute “no-excuse” absentee voting (but not so-called “early voting”).
Recommendation Nine. Make ballot-checking technology available to “in-person” absentee voters.
Recommendation Ten. Institute a provisional ballot system.
(III) Recounts
Recommendation Eleven. Require recounts to be done in a central location.
RecommendationTwelve. Recount only ballots counted on Election Day.
Recommendation Thirteen. In the case of “duplicate” ballots, count the duplicates, not the originals.
Recommendation Fourteen. Follow laws currently on the books and formally increase uniformity and specificity of procedures.
Recommendation Fifteen. Institute a run-off election for extremely close elections (but not so-called “instant run-off voting”).
Full report here. Hat tip: MN Democrats Exposed who asks, "Will Mark Ritchie do the right thing?"
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