Elections
Our people
Programs and divisions
Mission and goals
The mission of the Elections and Voter Services (EVS) division is to champion civic participation for all Minneapolis citizens through accurate, free, and accessible elections. We strive to be leaders in election administration through innovation and collaboration. The EVS division serves as the gateway to representative democracy, protecting voting rights guaranteed by both federal and state constitutions.
Services provided
The EVS division maintains readiness and capability to conduct an election whenever required; protects the rights of all eligible voters to equitable, impartial access to the ballot box; and ensures every ballot is accurately and properly counted. Key services provided include:
- Early Voting: During the 46-days prior to each election, voters may opt to cast their ballot early either in-person at one of the City’s Early Vote Centers or through the Vote-By-Mail program where voters can request ballot delivery to the address of their choice. This program creates equitable access to the ballot box by allowing voters to choose a voting method that best meets their individual needs. Additional early voting services include operation of the City’s Absentee Ballot Board, ballot drop off sites, and Health Care Facility Voting.
- Election Judges: The success of any election is dependent on the City’s ability to recruit, train, manage, and deploy on average 1,500 – 2,500 election judges to serve voters in Election Day polling places. This is done in accordance with Minnesota Election Law and the City’s priority to create a workforce representative of the community it serves. Special focus is placed on recruiting student election judges and individuals fluent in Hmong, Somali, Spanish, Oromo, Amharic, Lao, and American Sign Language.
- Voter Outreach and Education: This program was first launched in 2013 to ensure all voters are “election ready." Annual efforts include participation in community and neighborhood events, translation of critical election materials, the Voter Information Guide mailed to every household, social media and website campaigns, digital communications, and collaboration with a variety of community groups.
- Logistics and Operations: To operate 137 Election Day voting precincts and to ensure election judges can assist all eligible voters, EVS staff must prepare, pack, and deploy over 150 unique polling place supply and equipment items. This preparation includes over 400+ total pieces of voting equipment that must be tested to ensure all equipment is operating as designed and without outside interference. These efforts help reassure our voters that their elections are safe, secure, and accurate.
- Candidate Filing and Campaign Finance: We serve as the official filing officer for local elections, specifically Special School District #1 and the municipal offices of Mayor, City Council, Parks and Recreation Board, and Board of Estimate and Taxation. Candidates must complete paperwork to have their name added to the ballot and report various financial information about their campaign. This information is then made available to the public for increased transparency.
Race equity impacts
Minneapolis is a recognized leader in election administration. Its robust Voter Outreach and Education (VOE) program ensures all qualified voters are “election ready,” helping build awareness and participation across the four-year election cycle. VOE initiatives primarily target communities that have, historically, had lower levels of engagement or which have been identified as facing greater barriers to full participation.
2023-24 Council Adopted change items
Elections - 2023 Transition, Orientation, and Inauguration
Program: Elections and Voter Services
Fund: General Fund
FTE: 0
Proposal detail and background
The Council approves $200,000 in one-time funding for the 2023 Municipal Election Transition, Orientation, and Inauguration. This “non-standard” election is the result of the 2021-2022 redistricting process and passage of City Question 1 in the 2020 General Election.
Description of the change
This funding is a one-time supplemental to provide necessary funds to support the following activities and events:
- Transition for departing City Council officials not returning in the 2024-2025 term.
- Repairs, renovation, cleaning, and maintenance for policymaker offices during the transition and interim period.
- Temporary office space for newly elected policymakers and transitional/onboarding support, including orientation and other onboarding activities.
- Conduct of the 2024 induction (inaugural) ceremonies for the City’s newly elected and re-elected policymakers.
- Conduct of an extensive training program for new elected officials regarding the function and administration of the city enterprise.
Equity impacts and results
The inaugural event will be opened to all members of the public. They can attend the event either in-person or watch it live on the City network.
Elections - 2023 Elections
Program: Elections and Voter Services
Fund: General Fund
FTE: 0
Proposal detail and background
The Council approves $2,123,040 in one-time funding to administer the 2023 Municipal Election. This “non-standard” election is the result of the 2021-2022 redistricting process and passage of City Question 1 in the 2020 General Election. Following Hennepin and Ramsey County, the City of Minneapolis is the third largest jurisdiction in the state, serving one of the most diverse voting populations.
Description of the change
Elections are administered across a planned, four-year cycle in Minneapolis. Due to the extreme variability that occurs from one election year to the next, the city finances elections by providing a base budget and reviews requests for “election specific” costs every cycle. The 2023 budget projections were developed by analyzing past experiences, voter turnout trends in recent comparable election events, and potential implications of only 13 out of the 25 municipal seats running.
The funding will maintain statutorily required election functions while continuing to increase/enhance/expand ballot access to all eligible voters. This includes operation of an Early Vote Center and ballot drop off site, staffed by an estimated 110+ temporary workers and election judges. Increased funding for the early voting program builds on voter’s increasing preference for pre-Election Day voting methods and the increased flexibility they offer.
Funding supports the operation of 137 Election Day voting precincts, including recruitment, training, and scheduling of 1,800-2,000 election judges. Priority is placed on increased recruitment of those with secondary language skills, specifically Hmong, Somali, Oromo, and Spanish to better serve our diverse communities. Temporary workers will also prepare and test over 150 unique supply and equipment items for each voting precinct.
Equity impacts and results
Minneapolis is a recognized leader in election administration. Its robust Voter Outreach and Education (VOE) program ensures all qualified voters are “election ready,” helping build awareness and participation across the four-year election cycle. VOE initiatives primarily target communities that have, historically, had lower levels of engagement or which have been identified as facing greater barriers to full participation. These initiatives have developed and changed over the years based on feedback from community advocates and partners, in coordination with NCR, and data acquired from post-election surveys.
VOE initiatives are coupled with the increasing flexibility offered under the Early Voting Program, which helps bring the ballot box to voters by placing Early Vote Centers and, ballot drop off locations in community sites. Continued priority for providing translation services in these sites removes additional barriers to voting.
Elections and Voter Services ensures all voters have equitable, impartial access to the ballot box and that every ballot is accurately and properly counted. To achieve this outcome, EVS maintains a state of readiness to conduct an election whenever required and builds on previous voter trends to administer each election. More recently this has included a dramatic expansion to absentee voting and the additional flexibility and options offered under this program. While the 2023 Municipal Election will include only the 13 City Council Offices on the ballot, participation is expected to follow established trends for municipal elections as the City has a highly engaged population.
Elections - 2024 Elections
Program: Elections and Voter Services
Fund: General Fund
FTE: 0
Proposal detail and background
The Council approves $4,773,695 in one-time funding to administer the 2024 Presidential Election. The election cycle includes a Presidential Nomination Primary, Primary, and General Election. Following Hennepin and Ramsey County, the City of Minneapolis administers elections for the third largest jurisdiction in the state, serving one of the most diverse voting populations.
Description of the change
Elections are administered across a planned, four-year cycle in Minneapolis. Due to the extreme variability that occurs from one election year to the next, the city finances elections by providing a base budget and reviews requests for “election specific” costs every cycle. The 2024 budget projections were developed by analyzing past experiences and voter turnout trends in recent comparable election events. This projection thus assumes high voter participation, continued preference for pre-Election Day voting options and flexibility, and continued need to diversify services to meet the specific needs for all voters regardless of circumstances.
The 2024 funding will maintain statutorily required election functions while continuing to increase/enhance/expand ballot access to all eligible voters. Funding will support temporary worker and Election Judge pay, supplies and voting equipment for 137 Election Day precincts, operation of Early Vote Centers, absentee vote-by-mail team, and extensive voter outreach & education initiatives. Activities will increase across the three separate election events before reaching full capacity during the Presidential General Election when voter participation is expected to be highest. This would mean the General Election could have an estimated 185 temporary workers, 2,500 election judges, 4 Early Vote Centers (1 46-day and 3 7-day), 4 ballot drop off sites, and staffing for expanded service hours per the policy direction of City Council.
Equity impacts and results
Minneapolis is a recognized leader in election administration. Its robust Voter Outreach and Education (VOE) program ensures all qualified voters are “election ready,” helping build awareness and participation across the four-year election cycle. VOE initiatives primarily target communities that have, historically, had lower levels of engagement or which have been identified as facing greater barriers to full participation. These initiatives have developed and changed over the years based on feedback from community advocates and partners, in coordination with NCR, and data acquired from post-election surveys.
VOE initiatives are coupled with the increasing flexibility offered under the Early Voting Program, which helps bring the ballot box to voters by placing Early Vote Centers, ballot drop off, and Election Day voting precincts in trusted community sites. Continued priority for interpretation services and accessible voting equipment in these sites removes additional barriers to voting.
Elections and Voter Services ensures all voters have equitable, impartial access to the ballot box and that every ballot is accurately and properly counted. To achieve this outcome, EVS maintains a state of readiness to conduct an election whenever required and builds on previous voter trends to administer each election. More recently this has included a dramatic expansion to absentee voting and the additional flexibility and options offered under this program. Current trends suggest that while levels will not reach that of the 2020 Presidential Election under the COVID-19 pandemic, that they will continue to increase due to voter expectations.