2005 Election Information
by Mai Thor
Many people do not realize
that elections occur all the time. After all the media attention,
you might have taken a sigh of relief following last November’s election. However, election officials will
tell you that their jobs don’t end after a presidential election.
Neither does your job as a voter. Elections held in 2005 and 2006
will be very important for Minnesota. As a person with a disability,
it is important to remain aware of which offices will be up for election
and who the candidates are. It is equally important to know what
issues are important to you.
Minnesota’s local elections are occurring this year. Rachel
Smith from Ramsey County states, “The more local the election,
the more it affects everyday life.” Township elections occurred
on March 8th. For the remainder of the year, elections will occur
in municipal and school districts. These seats mainly include mayoral,
city council, and school board seats. Check with your local election
office to confirm hours and dates. The election calendar for 2005
includes:
Primary Election: September
13
- Absentee voting begins for the
General Election: November 8
October 7
- Deadline to pre-register to vote for the General election:
October 18
- Extended hours for absentee voting:
November 5 (Saturday), 10:00-3:00
- Extended hours for absentee voting:
November 7, 8:00-5:00
Registration guidelines are similar to those for the federal elections
of 2004. You must be:
- at least 18 years old
- a US citizen
- a resident of
Minnesota for 20 days prior to the election
- not a convicted
felon who has not had your civil rights restored
- not under guardianship
where the court has revoked your right to vote
- not legally incompetent.
Remember, if you moved
since the last time you voted, or you haven’t
voted for at least four years, you will need to register again. If
you miss the deadline to pre-register, you can register to vote at
your polling place on Election Day. Most polling places in the metro
area will be open from 7:00 AM – 8:00 PM. Here are cities in
Ramsey and Hennepin Counties with primary and/or general elections
in 2005:
Ramsey County
Falcon Heights
Lauderdale
Maplewood
New Brighton
Roseville
Saint Paul
White Bear Lake
White Bear Township
Hennepin County
Bloomington
Golden Valley
Hopkins
Independence
Minneapolis
Minnetonka
Osseo
St. Anthony
Check with your local elections office for more information on which
seats need to be filled and at what hours polls will be operating.
This year, both Minneapolis and St. Paul are filling mayoral seats.
In 2006, Election Day will fall on November 7. The election in 2006
will again be a mix of federal and state offices and will also be
an important one for Minnesota. The people will vote for one seat
for US Senator, US Congressional seats, all seats in the Minnesota
Senate and House, and Governor. Other seats to fill are Attorney
General, Secretary of State and State Auditor.
It almost seems like
yesterday when people knocked on your door reminding you to vote
and your television-blared campaign ads during commercial time.
Well, expect it all to happen again soon! Election campaigns will
be around for a long time because our communities will continually
need good leaders to represent the people who live in them. Rachel
stated, “Not voting is resigning to the fact
that all offices should be appointed rather than elected.”
Continue to be involved and vote!
