Legislators introduce early-primary bill

Two Minnesota legislators are proposing moving up the date of Minnesota’s political primary by a month to ensure that military and overseas voters have adequate time to receive and return their absentee ballots for the general election.

“Across the country, we have seen far too many instances of overseas ballots arriving too late to be counted,” Sen. Terri Bonoff, DFL-Minnetonka, said at a news conference today. “By moving up the primary date, we can give election officials more time to send out absentee ballots, and more time for military members to fill out and send their ballots back in time to be counted.”

The proposed legislation, co-sponsored by Bonoff and Rep. Steve Simon, DFL-St. Louis Park, would move the state primary from the first Tuesday after the second Monday in September to the second Tuesday in August in even-numbered years.

That would mean that the 2010 primary would be held on Aug. 10 rather than Sept. 14, as it is currently scheduled.

The proposal would expand the time available for absentee voting from 30 to 45 days, and also would change the timing provided for special elections for federal office to allow for a 45-day absentee voting period.

A bipartisan group of lawmakers worked during the legislative interim with local elected officials to draft election law changes that would bring Minnesota into conformity with the recently enacted federal Military and Overseas Voter Empowerment (MOVE) Act, which is intended to help with the registration and participation of U.S. military and overseas voters.

Simon said he is confident that the bill will have broad bipartisan support.

Later Friday, the legislation was considered by the Senate Committee on State and Local Government Operations and Oversight, which passed the bill out of committee on a voice vote (and after minimal discussion).

One Response to “Legislators introduce early-primary bill”

1. pat fisher Says:
   February 6th, 2010 at 7:56 pm

   this works for the 2 main parties, but what about the independents who want to wait until after the state fair before voting. I see this as a grab by the incumbent politicians to stop independenct candidates and stiffle free speech. I will not support this and i ask all state congressmen to not support this. this is a DFL attack on the will of WE THE PEOPLE