States across the country have postponed their primary elections and expanded vote-by-mail options in an effort to avoid an outbreak of the coronavirus and to allow voters to feel safe to cast their ballots.
The Minnesota House State Government Finance Division approved a bill Monday that would expand balloting by mail for the August primary and November general election.
The bill would authorize Secretary of State Steve Simon to direct that the state’s 2020 primary and general elections be conducted primarily by mail and can include specific requirements related to polling place closures and the availability of vote centers.
Rep. Raymond Dehn (DFL-Minneapolis) sponsored the House bill which is being sent to the House Ways and Means Committee where it and other election-related bills are scheduled to be addressed on Wednesday, April 29.
As of April 24, Minnesota has nearly 3.4 million registered voters, which is expected to increase as the elections become closer. Voting by mail already takes place in 78 of the state’s 87 counties.
Those in favor of the bill argue that Minnesota voters shouldn’t have to jeopardize their health to vote or sacrifice their democratic right to vote to say healthy.
“It’s the citizens of our state and their vote that matters. If we can allow them an opportunity to vote and be healthy, I honestly don’t see the problem with that,” said Rep. Ginny Klavern (DFL-Plymouth).
Although Republicans remain skeptical of this bill in regard to voter fraud. According to Sessions Daily, they noted that the current practice already allows for people to utilize in-person or no-excuse balloting.
Senate Majority Leader Paul Gazelka (R-East Gull Lake) and Sen. Mary Kiffmeyer (R-Big Lake) have expressed opposition to an expansion of voting by mail.
Rep. Jeff Backer (R-Browns Valley) did not comment on this bill but stated that he is not in favor of it being fully adopted.
The proposal has become a recent partisan battleground between Democrats and Republicans. Democrats see voting-by-mail a way to assure safe elections if a COVID-19 remains a threat, while Republicans say the bill could provide the opportunity to voter fraud.
Simon stated that he is not aware of a single case of voter fraud with voting by mail.
Alaska, Connecticut, Delaware, Georgia, Hawaii, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, New Jersey, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, West Virginia, Wyoming and Puerto Rico have either postponed their presidential primaries or switched to voting by mail with extended deadlines.
According to the bill’s fiscal notes, mail balloting can be more cost-effective than absentee balloting and mail balloting does not require the voter to request the ballot and thereby eliminating voter interaction.
The Daily News will continue to follow Minnesota’s handling of elections during the coronavirus pandemic.
This page contains all of The Daily News and News Monitor's coverage of the novel coronavirus outbreak, and the illness it causes, called COVID-19.
Because this outbreak impacts public health, our coverage of the coronavirus is available to all readers. Our journalists are working hard to bring you the verified information below. Please consider supporting important local journalism with a subscription. (Click Here)
Are you a southern red river valley resident who’s been affected by the illness? Send us an email: editor@wahpetondailynews.com.
