One of my memories of voting for the first time caught me off guard, as I wasn’t prepared for the long polling line that stretched out of the tan middle school building and wrapped around the corner, about 100 people deep.
It was a typical November morning with gray clouds preventing any appearance of the sun. White puffs of breath evaporated into the sky as stoic voters inched toward the warmth of the school building entrance.
I didn’t really see any option, as absentee voting wasn’t nearly as popular back then. So I shuffled past all the blank faces to the end of the line, zipped my parka up to my chin, and initiated the Minnesota rock, trying to keep my feet warm on the concrete sidewalk.
Today, many Minnesotans soon will or have already cast ballots for this year’s November election, even though we are still more than one month away from election day. Early voting kicked off Sept. 18.
In the last election, nearly 40% — about 1.3 million — of Minnesota voters cast ballots absentee or mail-in. That is significant as Minnesota is among state leaders in voter turnout. Overall, more than 3.2 million ballots were cast in Minnesota, representing 76% of eligible voters, according to the Minnesota Secretary of State.
It’s also one of the reasons we have started running our voter guides much earlier than we did in years past.
Some people vote early to avoid the lines, which can be especially gratifying if voting day temperatures plummet or heaven forbid, it’s snowing. Some want the misery of empty campaign promises and the mudslinging to be silenced for another two years. Still others have little choice, as they might be stationed overseas and it is their only option if they want to vote.
There are many reasons it happens, but at the end of the day, the issues that motivate most Minnesotans to vote remain the same: quality of life, perceived injustices and public safety.
But the issues that matter most often seem almost irrelevant to candidates in campaign messaging.
If candidates spent half as much time strategizing how they might actually work on behalf of voters, rather than pointing out how sinister their opponent is, state and federal government services might achieve more for constituents.
An annual House of Representatives poll at the Minnesota State Fair, taken by an estimated 10,000 people, is a good litmus test for the top issues affecting people’s lives, yet barely hit many candidates’ radar.
For instance, the poll found that 75% of respondents support a ban on semi-automatic, military-style weapons, except for use by peace officers, service members and other government officials within the scope of their duties. Only 20% were opposed. This is no news flash, but certainly still fresh on people’s minds after the Annunciation School shooting where the gunman used an AR-15-style semi-automatic rifle.
Also, 80% of respondents believe that a state employee whose intentional actions allowed fraud to occur in a state program should be terminated and banned from state employment for five years. Only 7% were opposed to that question.
The opposition and confusion surrounding Flock cameras (red light cameras) was on full display with this poll. Nearly 48% said they should be banned, but 52% said they did not want to see them banned or they were unsure.
Respondents were also not thrilled with government use of facial recognition technology on citizens. Almost 60% were opposed, while 25% were OK with it.
Other polls have indicated that inflation and the rising cost of living, the cost and accessibility of health care and fraud dominate concerns for voters.
These are real issues that deserve real discernment by elected officials who must understand that many people are struggling. Sound bites and witty quips may be gratifying political clickbait, but won’t improve society or the hardships facing workers.
The political machine is a monster that seems to have an insatiable appetite that feeds on voter fear, anger and disorientation. Their tactics are like setting a forest on fire so we can’t see the hollow foundation of their campaign through the thick smoke. Unfortunately, too many of them are more than happy to start that fire if it means winning a seat. They have no deeper playbook to address inflation, health care, affordable housing, cost of living, public safety and fraud.
But your vote, whether it is cast early or under gray clouds on Nov. 3, is still the single greatest accountability of our elected officials.
Will your candidate be the one tossing the match on the dry landscape or the one running into the flames to help those in need?