You can find the January/February 2017 issue of The Voter Newsletter here!

For anyone who came to our annual luncheon in December, here are some more resources on suffragettes and the movement after Seneca Falls.

Resource Guide: From Seneca Falls to South St. Paul - A list of resources compiled by our speaker, Madeline Hansen. 

Suffragette City: A timely visit to Seneca Falls, N.Y., birthplace of the 19th amendment - Debra Bruno, Washington Post, October 20, 2016.

Relive women’s history in Seneca Falls’ national park and come away with new heroes - Catherine Watson, L.A. Times, October 31, 2016. 

Her Hat Was In the Ring! -  an ongoing project collecting information concerning women who campaigned for elected public office before the passage of the Nineteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution in August of 1920.

Iron Jaws Angels - A 2004 historical docudrama about a group of passionate and dynamic young women, led by Alice Paul (Hilary Swank) and her friend Lucy Burns (Frances O'Connor), who put their lives on the line to fight for American women's right to vote.

Suffragette - A 2015 British historical period drama film about women's suffrage in the United Kingdom.

Hidden Figures - A 2016 biographical film based on the nonfiction book of the same name by Margot Lee Shetterly. The film stars Taraji P. Henson as Katherine G. Johnson, the African American mathematician who participated in calculating flight trajectories for Project Mercury and the 1969 Apollo 11 flight to the Moon. 

Thanks to everyone who came out to our D3 (Democracy, Discussion, and Drinks) event about the Electoral College last night! We had a great turnout!

For those who would like written information, the speaker, Nick Harper, created a brief handout that you can refer to and share with others. 

If you'd like even more details, Nick recommends “The Electoral College: How It Works in Contemporary Presidential Elections” from Congressional Research Service, the nonpartisan law and policy research division of the United States Congress. 

There are already two bills in the Minnesota Senate and two in the House this session supporting the National Popular Vote Compact:

S.F. No. 10

S.F. No. 16

H.F. No. 42

H.F. No. 44

Presumptive President-Elect Donald Trump has won the presidential election, even though Democratic candidate Secretary Hillary Clinton won the popular vote across the nation. Many people are asking what the Electoral College is and why we have it.

The founding fathers established it in the Constitution as a compromise between election of the President by a vote in Congress and election of the President by a popular vote of qualified citizens.

Each candidate running for President in your state has his or her own group of electors. The electors are generally chosen by the candidate’s political party, but state laws vary on how the electors are selected and what their responsibilities are.

A majority of 270 electoral votes is required to elect the President.

You can learn more about the Electoral College at the National Archives and Records Administration website. You can also find information on Wikipedia.

You can watch the District 67 Candidate forum on SPNN (CH19) on the following dates and times:

Sunday, October 30, 07:00 pm

Tuesday, November 1, 07:00 pm

Thursday, November 3, 01:00 pm

Friday, November 4, 07:00 pm

Saturday, November 5, 03:00 pm

Sunday, November 6, 02:00 am

Sunday, November 6, 09:00 am

You can also watch on Youtube.

This information is from the Secretary of State's website: 

A write-in candidate for U.S. President, U.S. Senator or U.S. Representative must file a written request for his or her votes to be counted. This request must be filed with the Office of the Secretary of State no later than November 1, 2016.

Presidential candidates must also include the name of a vice-presidential candidate and the name of at least one, but not more than ten, candidates for presidential elector.

We received further clarification from the Secretary of State's Office:

When you vote for a write in candidate, you will fill in the oval/square next to the write in candidate space on the ballot. That “write-in” candidate spot will receive a number as to how many people filled in that oval/square. So, the “write-in” candidate for that office will receive a number on election night. That vote is counted and is a part of the official report from that precinct. The names that are written in that spot will also receive a number associated with the name, if that name is a registered write in. That is a separate report completed by the election judges/absentee ballot board members.

You can click here to see all the candidates for office for President/Vice President on the Minnesota ballot.

The list of individuals registered as write-ins will be continuously updated until November 1. You can contact the Secretary of State's Office for an updated list. 

DISTRICT 65 CANDIDATE FORUM

https://youtu.be/0nowAOA1Pfs

Viewing Schedule on SPNN
Thu 10/13/16, 7:00 pm
Sat 10/15/16, 8:00 am
Sat 10/15/16, 7:00 pm
Sun 10/16/16, 9:30 am

Co-Sponsor: Hallie Q. Brown Community Center

 DISTRICT 64 CANDIDATE FORUM

https://youtu.be/sxiIqe-NoIg

Viewing Schedule on SPNN

Fri 10/14/16, 7:00 pm
Sat 10/15/16, 9:30 am
Sun 10/16/16, 8:00 am
Sun 10/16/16, 7:00: pm

Co-Sponsors: Highland Park District Council and Civic Eagle

ELECTIONS AND CANDIDATES INFORMATION SITES

https://ballotpedia.org/Main_Page

http://www.ontheissues.org/default.htm

http://www.nonprofitvote.org/all-resources/

REGISTER TO VOTE: https://mnvotes.sos.state.mn.us/VoterRegistration/VoterRegistrationStep1.aspx

NOTE SURE IF REGISTERED? https://mnvotes.sos.state.mn.us/VoterStatus.aspx

ABSENTEE BALLOT: https://mnvotes.sos.state.mn.us/ABRegistration/ABRegistrationStep1.aspx

You can read the September-October 2016 issue of our newsletter here!

On November 8, 2016, Minnesota voters will be asked whether to amend the Constitution to remove from the Legislature the power to set their own salary. This proposed Constitution Amendment will create a Legislative Pay Council. This citizen council will be responsible for determining the salary of state legislators. This proposed amendment was authorized with bipartisan support in the 2013 Legislature. Failure to vote on the amendment has the same effect as voting no on the amendment.

Click this link to download a flyer with more information on the Amendment.