The Free Press, Mankato, MN

Editorials

May 9, 2009

Our View — Election law can be improved

A voting and election reform proposal moving through the Legislature offers a lot of common sense, low-cost ways to improve the efficiency of vote counting and voting itself in Minnesota.

The Legislature would serve the voters well and improve the integrity of the entire system by approving major portions of the plan. At least some of the changes will directly impact voters, making it easier to vote, and making sure that every vote is counted. There are even provisions for helping people who fill out the ballot incorrectly.

The Franken-Coleman recount isn’t really driving the bill, but things learned along the way of the recount opened the eyes of election officials on flaws in the system and possible ways to improve it.

For example, the traditional practice of election officials transporting absentee ballots on election day from the county headquarters where they are received to individual precincts on election day would be done away with. The absentee votes would simply be counted at the courthouse under the watch of full-time election officials. That would prevent the potential for losing ballots in transport and would allow trained election officials, rather than volunteer judges, to determine if the ballot is filled out correctly.

The plan also calls for allowing early voting. Residents could vote as many as 15 to 18 days before the election, thereby reducing crowds on election day and making ballot counting a little easier as well. State and county election officials say almost 10 percent of the electorate vote early through absentee ballots, but not necessarily because they won’t be around on election day.

Minnesota Secretary of State Mark Ritchie notes that 32 other states have early voting, including the states surrounding Minnesota. It’s time we caught up with this trend that benefits voters.

Another reform proposal calls for streamlining voter registration, allowing people to be automatically registered when they receive or renew their driver’s license provided they are legal to vote. The current system allows this but you have to request it. A new system would register drivers automatically unless they said they did not want to register.

Part of this new registration system would automatically cross-reference voting/driving records with change of address records from the U.S. Postal Service. Those moving would get a postcard notifying them that changing their address affects their voter registration, allowing them to change the registration before being surprised by an invalid address on election day.

Several states also have online registration, so it would not be an experiment.

Much of the cost of the reforms would be taken care of through federal “Help America Vote” funding approved after the presidential recount in 2000. And county officials note they will probably save time and money, especially in the case of the absentee ballot reforms.

All in all, the reform proposals make a lot of sense. They’ll make it easier for voters and improve the vote counting system while increasing credibility.



You can get more details and follow the progress of these bills by going to www.leg.state.mn.us. Typing in bill numbers provides information and status.

The 21st Century Registration Bill: HF1053 and SF660

Senate Omnibus Elections Bill: SF1331

Absentee Balloting: HF1351

Early Voting: HF1113, SF970 (rolled into SF1331)

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